No, not THAT Ray Robinson. Not Sugar Ray (although as good as Terence Crawford is, maybe he would have been able to give the original Sugar Man a run for his money). Ray Robinson, a current welterweight contender at 24-3-2(12) is the latest in a growing line of fighters to call out WBO 147 pound boss Crawford.
This week, interim WBO 154 pound champ Partick Teixeira threw down the challenge, calling on Crawford to move up and try and take his belt. Now “The New” Ray Robinson (Robinson actually dropped this nickname a while back) is telling RingTV.com that he is certain he can defeat Crawford, that “I got his number.”
Robinson did beat a young Crawford back when the two were amateurs (Robinson is the last man to have defeated the current three-weight champ and pound-for-pound entrant) and the 34-year-old feels very strongly he would do it again at pro level. If he is given the chance.
“I got his number. I would beat Crawford,” Robinson, a southpaw, told Ring. “I know that I’ve beaten him once already, but I know for a fact that I got his number. He hasn’t fought anyone like me. I feel like it would be the same result.”
Philly’s Robinson, a pro since 2006, has been stopped just once, by Yordenis Ugas, and he has had a few controversial decisions during his pro career. A draw with Egidijus Kavaliauskas (who went on to give Crawford a pretty tough fight, even scoring a knockdown that was not called) was followed by a draw with Josh Kelly; plenty of people think Robinson won both fights. The two other losses on Robinson’s ledger came back in 2009/2010, when Brad Solomon and Shawn Porter each decisioned him.
Robinson is certainly a good fighter, a talented fighter, but will Crawford look his way? Crawford seems to have plenty of other options open to him, ones that would pay him more money. It’s time Crawford took a fight, though, either in front of an audience or behind closed doors. The clock is ticking on the 32-year-old’s (33 in September) career. Crawford is yet to box here in 2020.
