It has been a tough couple of years for welterweight Cody Crowley originally from Canada, who has relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, to chase his dream of becoming a world champion. Crowley has sacrificed it all to give himself the best chance at being his best moving down from 154 lbs to the welterweight limit of 147 lbs., as well as leaving his creature comforts behind to be around the best in the world.
Crowley will get the biggest opportunity thus far in his career as he opens up one of the most exciting pay-per-view cards of the year, which is David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant, on March 25th, as he will face Abel Ramos, the uncle to Jesus Ramos Jr., and welterweight contender in his own right. In typically, Crowley fashion, he has no ill-will towards his opponent, but shares a joy for fighting that only a hardened marine, who can’t stand the calmness of civilian life could relate to.
“Fight time is getting close and there’s nothing I love more than fighting. That fire burns inside of me and each day I get closer to being able to hurt someone,” said Crowley will in a car passenger seat talking to the media on a virtual conference call to promote this fight. “I definitely took a long journey to get here, but it needed to happen for me to be in the position I’m in today. Getting this win will mean that nobody can take away what I’ve worked so hard for and earned. This has been a decade in the making as a professional.”
Currently, Crowley is ranked #3 by the WBC, #4 by the WBO and #9 by the IBF in the welterweight division, and with a record of 21-0, 9 knockouts, Crowley is nearing the point of a life-changing opportunity or maybe more importantly life-changing money. Yet it seems that absence of Terence Crawford versus Errol Spence Jr., being made has left a gapping void for contenders like himself at welterweight. In short, the division has become log-jammed at the top, as contender are waiting rather than staying busy looking to land a big fight. This slowdown seemingly has seen Crowley fight for too infrequently.
“The more active I am, the better I am, the more you fight the better you are at fighting,” answered Crowley about the state of his division. “I am not the type of guy who wants to fight once-a-year, I am the type of guy who wants to fight every other month if possible. Every quarter should be minimum. Hopefully things start moving along a lot more quicker [SIC], once we started having these big delays. Once COVID[-19] happened, it has been a complete [expletive] show. Fighting once-a-year, these fighters are busting their butts in the gyms every single day, but we only get paid when we’re under the lights.”
Crowley has only fought two times in the past two years. As he defeated at-the-time undefeated Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in 2021, and in his lone fight in 2022, defeated former world champion Josesito Lopez, in what will more than likely be Lopez’s swan-song from the sport. Abel Ramos, a seasoned veteran with good wins and respectable losses, is a step-up in competition, and the type of fight that gets him mentioned amongst the world champions, or top contenders of the division, such as a Keith Thurman.
"I hope [Abel Ramos] been training in a phone booth, because that’s what it’s going to feel like in the ring. I don’t like to waste any time. So if you want to fight, I’ll meet you right there in the center of the ring. If you want to run, I’m coming forward and I’m coming to break my opponent down,” said Crowley as candidly gave away his game plan during the media call. “I’m definitely not looking past March 25. So Abel you better be ready. I’m coming to hunt you down. I’m sure he’s doing the same thing. Hats off to him for stepping up to the fire. I can see it in his eyes that he’s ready.
