“Bud” is the bad guy boxing needed while Khan’s been the good guy we never appreciated.
The movie Scarface chronicles the American Dream story of Cuban refugee turned gangster, Tony Montana.
Montana knew he was destined for big things early in life, however, his talents as a gangster were underappreciated in Cuba. Once he made it to the shores of Miami and learned the lay of the land, he began to eke out his own existence.
It was one of infamy as with each clairvoyant stroke, Montana rose up the ranks, leveling up to become the boss of his own drug empire. Through sheer will, vision, tenacity and hard work, he gained respect on his name and an eventual target on his back.
Terence “Montana” Crawford
In boxing, this would be Terence “Bud” Crawford. Like Scarface, he enjoys winning and showing you that he can outsmart you. When he destroyed the career of Yuriyorkis Gamboa, he did it with a wry smile. When he decimated Jeff Horn, still high off his surprise victory over Manny Pacquiao, Crawford delighted in righting a perceived wrong.
Terence Crawford likes being the bad guy. He’s just unassuming.
Amir Khan is Manolo Ribera
Amir Khan has been here before.
He’s the boxing industry’s closest friend, old reliable, that always shows up with class. For the large majority of his career, Khan has always been the reticent champion, always the pretty boy but comfortable without the hype.
Even with his losses to Danny Garcia, Lamont Peterson, and Canelo Alvarez, Khan stayed graceful and humble.
However, since his epic battle turned knockout loss to Canelo, Khan has taken a backseat to today’s stars. From Errol Spence to Gervonta Davis and of course, Terence Crawford, the name Amir Khan, although relevant, seems vintage in juxtaposition.
Still, it is a battle that Crawford, with all his undisputed accolades at lightweight, needs. It wasn’t until Tony Montana took on Frank Lopez, his former boss, that he became a king.
Amir Khan has sat on the throne in the lightweight division before and has been a champion, although a minor one, in multiple weight classes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCme1sLkBUY
A win over Khan would solidify Crawford’s ability to beat a marquee fighter. No one will remember his wins over Julius Indongo, Hank Lundy, or Thomas Dulorme the way they would a dominant victory over Amir Khan. Simply because win, lose, or draw, Khan will bring it with a star quality birthed through consistency.
The question that looms of Crawford is will Khan outwork him with his signature speed and experience?
That could make him more of a Sosa, international man, wielding the experience of a kingpin. Although Crawford has a belt in the welterweight division, he is a new entrant into the hallowed division.
Khan has fought and defeated Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri, all at welterweight. He has gone up as high as middleweight and even though he lost to Canelo, he outboxed him thoroughly before he was finished by the bigger man.
Crawford will define his legacy with this fight, even before a potential matchup with his doppelganger in Errol Spence. However, this fight is a matchup of the new in-ring gangster versus the affable and dependable warrior.
On Saturday, we will all get to see if Tony fells Manolo like the film, or if he survives to become boxing’s biggest usurper of the boogeyman.
