HBO Boxing held their first press conference of the new year to hype their double-header on February 27 at Madison Square Garden, featuring WBO Latino lightweight champ Felix Verdejo taking on William Silva, and undefeated Terence Crawford meeting “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy for the WBO Junior Welterweight title. The press conference was your typical one, and quite pleasant until the main event fighters had their chance to take the mics.
“Terence, listen you can laugh, and excuse my french — I’m on your ass!” Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) turned towards Crawford and stopped addressing the press, instead choosing to look his opponent in the face to deliver his speech. “I’m a street guy too… we can take it to the streets, and you don’t want none of that.” “Fight night, it’s gonna be a helluva show, and I guarantee I’m gonna come in here and take this man’s belt.” “He’s never seen nobody that had the same tools as me: southpaw, right handed, speed, punching power — it’s on! It’s showtime.”
The executives from HBO quickly jumped on the mic to remind everyone that the fight will actually be on their station and not Showtime. Next, it was the champ’s turn, and he had plenty to say to his challenger. “You coming to the east coast, homie. This s— ain’t no game, no game, no game! I want you to get this in your ear,” said Lundy as he looked back at Crawford who was staring-on attentively. “I’m gonna beat your ass, it’s gonna be bad.” Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) listened intently and patiently awaited his turn to speak, a grin on his face once the time came.
“Everybody knows you Hank. You’re like the boy who cried wolf. You’re always wolfing. You talk a good game but then when you lose it’s some extra little ‘ah well, you know, it’s me, Hank, I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do that,’ you ain’t gonna do s—!” “You talk about how street you is, that’s talking boy, we know about you,” continued Crawford. “We heard about you getting socked up in the gym and ain’t do nothing…but for real though, when you look at me in my eyes – I’m about that mess though. You heard about me. You heard my background.”
Moments later, Crawford flashed a smile and went back to being calm and jovial, joking with the audience in attendance. However, it did not take long before he went back to flinging insults, this time directing them at Lundy’s coaches in the back of the room. “Shout out to your coaches though, I appreciate ya’ll. I think I’ve seen ya’ll in the amateurs, when I was in the U.S. Nationals, when Hank was getting beat up. You remember that, Hank? Yeah boy, you thought I forgot. I remember all that.” The two shared a staredown that was surprisingly less intense than their banter, but it seems that even with their mutual dislike of each other, there is still enough respect to save it for the ring… or at least the weigh-in’s.
The Crawford/Verdejo championship doubleheader will take place on Saturday, February 27 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check out the video above for the highlights of the press conference (AKA the trash talk), or see the video below for the entire press conference.
Transcript via Bad Left Hook
Apologies for the audio in these videos, the camera people were positioned in the back (which is normal) underneath heating ducts (which is abnormal), so there is a buzz in certain parts of the video because of that, especially when the speakers are talking low.