Terence Crawford promises to cancel Viktor Postol in their 140-pound unification title fight

LOS ANGELES — A giant stamp from the Ukraine was unveiled Tuesday at the end of a news conference to begin promotion of the junior welterweight unification title fight between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol on July 23.

Postol is pictured on the stamp, which lauds him as champion of the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council.

He may yet become WBO champion, but for now Crawford holds that title. All the stamp did was give Crawford added motivation for the fight at the MGM Grand Garden on HBO Pay Per View.

“There’s only one place for junk mail, and that’s the shredder,” Crawford said. “I’m going to cancel your stamp and your reign as WBC champion on July 23. The new face of boxing isn’t on that stamp, it’s in front of you.”

Crawford (28-0, 20 knockouts) said he’s looking forward to adding to his belt collection.

“At some point, I’m going to move up to 147 (pounds),” he said. “But first, I want to own all the 140-pound belts. This will be No. 2.”

Crawford said he’s not worried about Postol being unbeaten (28-0, 12 KOs) or that he’s trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach or that he’s been Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner in years past.

“I train to make sure I’m at my best,” Crawford said. “I never worry about the guy I’m fighting. Let him worry about me.

“(Postol) is a good fighter. He has to be in order to be a world champion. But he’s going to have a lot to deal with on July 23.”

Crawford is not only strong and quick, his defense has improved significantly the last couple of years and he’s not easy to hit.

“It’s going to be an interesting fight,” Postol said through a translator. “I’ve never faced anyone like Terence Crawford who does so many things well. So there are a lot of challenges to winning this fight. But we will prepare and we will be at our best when it is time to fight.”

Roach said Postol also has improved overall and he likes where his fighter is mentally as they prepare to go to camp in a couple of weeks.

“He’s learned to follow directions well,” Roach said. “He doesn’t knock people out but he breaks them down.”

That wasn’t the case in Postol’s last fight Oct. 3 when he knocked out Lucas Matthysse in Carson, California, showing he has the power to stop a quality opponent. But Roach believes Postol will need his boxing skills to defeat Crawford.

“He and Crawford are very good fighters,” Roach said. “We need Viktor to use his jab and work the body. He does that consistently, he can win.”

Crawford, who stopped Hank Lundy in the fifth round Feb. 27 in his most recent fight, last fought in Las Vegas on March 30, 2013, when he beat Breidis Prescott by unanimous decision at Mandalay Bay on the Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado undercard. Now he returns as a main event, pay-per-view headliner.

“I’m really excited to be on the big stage,” Crawford said. “I paid a lot of dues and it makes me appreciate everything I went through to get this opportunity to be back in Vegas headlining a pay-per-view show.”

Added Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes Crawford: “On paper, this is a 50-50 fight. This is the kind of fight boxing needs, the best fighting the best.”

Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj