Nipp’d In Da Bud

The business of boxing will again be on display in Omaha, Nebraska Saturday night on ESPN (10:30PM/ET), as WBO welterweight champion and native son Terence Crawford (33-0, 24KOs) looks to send a tough-talking Jose Benavidez Jr to a trauma unit inside of what should be a wild CHI Health Center.

After inking a new deal with Top Rank and ESPN, “Bud” will be looking to blow some smoke with a pound-for-pound message to IBF king Errol Spence Jr. 

“Oh that shit is fire! Yo that’s “The Truth” right there!” says my now late cousin last month, of the thick gold chain around the neck of Spence. Completely unaware of the metaphorical coincidence he’s just dropped to evoke a wide smile, I’m watching video footage of the post fight presser for Danny Garcia V Shawn Porter – one totally crashed by Spence, if only to burn Bud and ash Benavidez. “I punished Benavidez in sparring,” told “The Truth,” who would be lying if he didn’t expect Bud to not punish Benavidez as well.

Top Rank has sold this fight with Benavidez (27-0, 18KOs), a former 11-time national champion, as if it’s some sort of signature fight- it’s not.

It’s just the first fight of a new deal that coincides with Bob Arum attempting to salvage something out of Benavidez, slated once for superstardom. Strange to say for someone only 26 and still unbeaten, but Benavidez a far away from amateur glory and the #1 overall prospect in 2012 on most experts’ scouting report. It’s been a long time since he held his own in sparring with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Tim Bradley, Amir Khan and Shawn Porter during those Wild Card Gym days under an in-form Freddie Roach. Since that time, Benavidez has been schooled and gifted against Mauricio Herrera, shot (like, really badly), apparently beaten up by Spence Jr and still ballsy enough to believe he can smoke Bud inside of CHI Health Center and get away with it.

Nah… Benavidez is gettin’ KTFO.

Bud flying’ high, in Mikey Williams pic.

This one has been played nicely by Arum, as he’s gotten Bud to spark up things during this promotion. An out of character Crawford interrupted the very irascible Benavidez during his Media Day workout on Wednesday, which almost lead to a fracas. Even on Thursday, during the final presser, Bud was sprinkling seeds of doubt in the face of Benavidez, causing dude to sprout emotion. Up two rounds already, expect Crawford to start draining an overcharged Jose Benavidez after three. To be honest, he should dead him in four. Too much of a step up in class. Bud can’t let a “Drunk” Spence Jr. have the last word on who he’s about to puff and pass to the crowd. We know Bob Arum thinks he’s got some good shit, but trust and believe Bud wants to show Dallas that Omaha’s got that fire.