Terence Crawford vs. José Benavidez Jr.: Preview and prediction

Terence Crawford defends his WBO welterweight title for the first time against undefeated José Benavidez Jr., and a grudge match is forming.

Terence Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs) is arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. He defends his WBO welterweight title against unbeaten José Benavidez Jr. (27-0, 18 KOs) on Saturday, Oct.13. The fight will be televised on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET. Oddsmakers are showing Benavidez very little respect, but he may not be as much of an underdog as some think.

Crawford is one of the most respected fighters in the world. Boxrec.com rates Crawford as the best pound-for-pound boxer, and ESPN has him at number two. Crawford has the edge over every welterweight and Benavidez is lightly regarded despite his undefeated record. The problem is that Benavidez hasn’t fought many boxers of substance.

The best name on Benavidez’s résumé is Mauricio Herrera, who he defeated by unanimous decision. It was an unpopular decision that many boxing pundits disagreed with. Benavidez has a notable win on his record, but the ghosts of doubt from his bout with Herrera linger.

Crawford, on the other hand, has convincingly disposed of all of his opposition. He’s riding a four-fight stoppage streak. He embarrassed Jeff Horn in June. Horn established himself with a surprise win over Manny Pacquiao in 2017 to earn the WBO welterweight title. Crawford made easy work of Horn and forced the referee to stop the bout in the ninth round.

Oddsmakers aren’t giving Benavidez any chance of winning. The Sportsbook Review has Benavidez ranging anywhere from a 15-1 to 20-1 underdog. His flawless record doesn’t seem to impress them. Crawford deserves to be a sizable favorite, but 20-1 odds are a bit outlandish.

Benavidez may not be a top 10 welterweight, but he’s talented and a legitimate threat. He was an amateur standout who went 120-5. Benavidez won the 2009 National Golden Gloves Championship at the age of 16. He also comes from a boxing family. His father trained him since he was a child and his younger brother is WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez who’s also undefeated.

In addition to being a great amateur, Benavidez has shown a champion’s resolve outside of the ring. In 2016, Benavidez was shot twice with one of the bullets hitting his femoral artery and severely damaging his leg. His story was recently profiled by ESPN, and it described his daunting struggles to continue his career.

Benavidez has endured a lot and has always come out on top. He has several physical advantages over Crawford including a six-inch height and three-inch reach advantage. At 26, Benavidez is five years younger than Crawford. These are all reasons why Benavidez shouldn’t be a 20-1 underdog, but he’s still fighting an uphill battle.

Crawford’s skill set and athletic ability put him in a class of his own. He’s able to outthink and outmaneuver other boxers with ease. Benavidez is good, but he’s not great — Crawford is.

The dynamic between Crawford and Benavidez has shifted into bad blood. Benavidez got into Crawford’s face during a boxing event in February. In the week leading up to their fight, the tension between the two has intensified. Last week during a media call, Crawford questioned the quality of Benavidez’s previous opponent.

At their final press conference, both men berated each other in a face to face encounter. They’ve gone back and forth with insults on display to the media. Recently, Benavidez told Sporting News, “I simply don’t like him. He wants to talk sh-t, we’ll see how big and bad he is in the ring.”

Crawford vs. Benavidez has the potential to be an entertaining bout. Benavidez is good enough to go the distance with Crawford but not beat him. This is the biggest fight of Benavidez’s career. He’ll outperform the odds, but not enough to threaten Crawford’s perfect record.