WBO welterweight champion Terence "Bud" Crawford and Amir "King" Khan hosted a media workout today at EverybodyFights, as the pair prepares for Saturday evening's Top Rank on ESPN PPV showdown at Madison Square Garden.
The stacked undercard will feature a pair of highly anticipated co-features: Lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez will fight Edis Tatli in a 12-rounder, while featherweight phenom Shakur Stevenson will face former world title challenger Christopher Diaz in a 10-rounder.
In the 10-round televised opener, Felix Verdejo seeks to return to lightweight contention versus former interim world champion Bryan Vasquez.
Here is what the PPV fighters had to say.
Terence Crawford
"I feel like I'm already the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Beating Amir Khan would only solidify my place in the sport. Amir Khan is undefeated as a welterweight and can't be underestimated. He has great hand speed, movement, and some power as well. I want to showcase all of my talents in this fight."
"I don't worry about the bigger names. My focus is on Amir Khan. He is the task at hand. I've never overlooked an opponent."
"I feel like a lot of times people don't give me credit for who I've beaten. I've defeated gold medalists, undefeated fighters, world champions. It doesn't matter. Before my fights, people talk about how it's going to be the hardest fight of my career. Then I beat them, and people make them seem like they were nothing. I am going to keep doing what I'm doing and keep being victorious."
"I am on a high level right now, and the way I beat people makes it seem like they don't belong in the ring with me. Against Khan, I will show everyone again why I'm the best fighter in the world."
Felix Verdejo
"I know this is a very important fight for my career. I'm going against a former world champion and a great fighter. But I am ready to show the world that I'm still an elite fighter."
"Having my baby last year changed my life. I fight for her now. It puts things in perspective."
"For me, this fight is about redemption. After beating Vasquez, I want to fight for a world title."
About Crawford vs. Khan
CRAWFORD vs. KHAN is a 12-round fight for the WBO welterweight championship of the world, presented by Top Rank in association with Matchroom Boxing and Khan Promotions. The event is sponsored by Geico. CRAWFORD vs. KHAN will take place Saturday, April 20, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT at Madison Square Garden, and will be produced by Top Rank and ESPN and distributed live by ESPN Pay-Per-View.
Tickets for this world championship event priced at $606, $406, $306, $206, $106, $81, and $56 (including facility fees) can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.
For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.
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