World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford will put his title and unblemished record on the line on Feb. 27 when he locks horns with Henry Lundy. It was announced Wednesday that the 140-pound clash will headline a card at the Theatre in Madison Square Garden in New York, with HBO televising.
Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), the 2014 Fighter of the Year, has taken the boxing world by storm as he’s quickly moved onto many experts’ pound-for-pound lists. “Bud” captured the WBO lightweight crown by outpointing Ricky Burns over 12 rounds in 2014 and defended it twice that year before moving up to junior welterweight. The Omaha native snatched the belt he currently possesses last April when he crushed Thomas Dulorme within six rounds and then took out Dierry Jean in the 10th frame in October.
Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) has lost to only top-level opposition, having gone the distance with Dulorme, Viktor Postol and Raymundo Beltran. His fight with Mauricio Herrera last July was stopped in the fifth when Herrera suffered a nasty cut above his eye due to an accidental clash of heads; Lundy lost a technical decision. “Hank” bounced back in October with a fifth-round clobbering of journeyman Carlos Winston Velasquez. This will mark the first time in his career that the Philadelphian will fight for a world title.
Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) is one of Puerto Rico’s hottest rising starse. “El Diamante” hasn’t taken on any upper echelon opponents just yet, but Silva should pose an immediate threat to his unblemished record. The Brazilian is also undefeated and like Verdejo, Silva (22-0, 13 KOs) has been tearing apart regional opposition.
More details regarding the event are expected soon.