Alexis Rocha vs Terence Crawford?
Seemingly out of place in theory, a capable but growing young welterweight contender against arguably the best boxer on the planet. Even Rocha realized that Crawford would be a huge challenge for him.
However, he asked a good question: How will you know what you’re capable of if you don’t try?
Rocha told Boxing Junkie: “You won’t know if you’re ready until you’re there with him. “I feel like I’m ready. Once I’m actually in there, it can be a completely different ballgame. That’s how it works.
“With anything in life, if you want a bigger chance, you have to take a risk. Fighting Terence Crawford could be a life-changing opportunity.”
A fight between Rocha, the WBO No 3 contender, and champion Crawford becomes more real after the former impressive win over late substitute George Ashie on January 28 in Inglewood, California, not far from Rocha’s home in Orange County.
Rocha, a southern tennis player, fought through a bad cut to knock Ashie out twice, the second time with a single right hook ending the match instantly. It was a good look on national television.
The 25-year-old admitted that it was a nice step forward in his career but also warned that there was a lot of work ahead.
“The job is always to make a statement,” he said. “I knew I needed to make a BIG statement, an outstanding knockout in a main event. I’m knocking on the door for bigger names, bigger opportunities. What could be better than an outstanding knockout?
“… (But) I still don’t feel like I’ve reached the top. I barely started. I just hit 25 a few months ago. This is just the beginning.”
So it won’t be the end of the world if Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs) doesn’t fight Crawford soon.
He is open about the fact that he has room for improvement. For example, he says he’s trying not to stay in the pocket for too long, which could be a strategy to avoid big hits and prolong one’s career.
How he calculates: The longer it takes for him to get a big shot, the better he’ll be.
“My job is just to be ready like a warrior,” he said. “As long as I keep winning, as long as I keep speaking, the time to fight for my title will come. I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
