Q&A with Terence Crawford: On fighting, fishing, and fatherhood

Arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world - ESPN currently ranks him No. 2, regardless of weight class, behind Vasiliy Lomachenko - Terence Crawford will put his WBO welterweight title on the line against Amir Khan on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Late last week, theScore caught up with the Omaha-bred fighter by phone as he downshifted into a pre-bout lull. We talked life in the ring, life in Omaha, and life as a proud dad - his 8-year-old son, Terence III, ranks among the top wrestlers in the country in his age group.

theScore: What is life like for you these days? Are you still in preparation mode?

Crawford: I'm just chilling, waiting to head out to New York City and make things happen. You don't want to overwork yourself right before a fight; want to save everything you have. I've kind of tapered it down. I try to save everything for the day of the fight. I'm in shape, I feel good, feel strong. Now we're waiting on the day.

theScore: In your "Training Day" video from camp, your strength and conditioning coach, Jamie Belt, said you are blessed with the best genetics he's ever seen. Is that what it is? Or is it the work?

Crawford: It's a mix of both, you know? My dad was a good wrestler, a good boxer. My mom's family was good boxers. Good genetics and hard work. Hard work beats talent any day of the week. But No. 1 is heart. It takes heart to get in that ring. I don't care who you're against, the thought of going in there, a guy punching you in your head, with all the things that can happen to you inside the ring that can affect you the rest of your life. You get in a tough fight, you're not doing well, your mind says you want to give up, your body saying you want to give up, but your heart says no.

theScore: When did you learn you could do that? That you could step into the ring? That you could take a punch and punch back?

Crawford: I was a little kid, fighting in the streets. I never really look at it like "Can I take a punch?" I always just believed I could. Every time I did, it was like, "Now we fighting." I used to have street fights, never got hit. It didn't feel like it was a fight. I had to really get hit to feel like it was.

theScore: On the flip side, when did you start relishing the ability to inflict damage?

Crawford: I was probably like 13, 14. In high school. That's the first time I ever knocked someone out cold. First time I did it, I was like, "Daaamn, I didn't even hit him that hard!"

theScore: What drives you?

Crawford: I have a desire in my stomach. I don't know when that's going to end. I'm like a little fireball inside. I don't want to lose. I'm so competitive.

theScore: Often, when someone has the kind of tough childhood you've described, they want to get as far away as possible. You've chosen to make your home in Omaha. Why?

Crawford: It's home. It's the place where no one would ever have imagined me coming from. Now that I have made it out of Omaha, I want to use that platform to give back to the boxers who are doing the same thing I was doing. That's just trying to make a difference.

theScore: You're talking about the B&B Sports Academy in Omaha, which you opened to give back to your hometown community. What is it like working with kids who grew up on the same streets and fought the same fights you did?

Crawford: It's very rewarding. People will love you and respect you for a lifetime for those types of things. Seeing some of the little kids, they remind me of myself when I was their age. It reminds me of how far I've come. Remembering the times I used to run around the gym, not do what I was told. I just laugh at 'em. I remember - I was once them. Instead of kicking them out, I give them something else to do.

theScore: Perhaps your finest protege is your own son, who is becoming quite the wrestler. He's growing up with a much different upbringing than you did, so how do you instill the same kind of toughness you're known for?

Crawford: It's just in him. It's in his veins. I don't even have to embed it in him. He wants to be great on his own. He's confident in everything he does, the type of little kid who pushes himself on that mat as hard as he can. Sometimes I have to remind him about the training. He doesn't want to work as hard, says "I'm No. 1, I don't have to do it, I don't like running." I have to constantly remind him these are the things he has to do to get better, to have that edge.

theScore: What are your biggest passions outside of boxing?

Crawford: Boxing is my passion. It's my love. Outside activities? I love to play basketball, I love to fish, I love to hang out with my family.

theScore: Good fishing in Omaha?

Crawford: Hell yeah. Different ponds, the lakes, the river. That's the time I can sit back, relax. Me and the lake. Get mentally stable. Fights like this can mentally drain you. It can have you exhausted. I like to go fishing because it mentally relaxes you.

theScore: How long do you need after a fight like this? How quickly are you mentally moving on to the next fight?

Crawford: Only a few days, then I'm back to reality. I'm always in the gym. I fight and I come to the gym that Monday. I might not even work out. I'm always getting the fighters encouraged.

Jon Gold is theScore's senior features writer. You can find him on Twitter @ByJonGold.