Two years ago, Viktor Postol was just another unassuming fighter trying to work his way to the top. And now look at him.He is widely considered one of the top two junior welterweights in the world and is heading into the biggest fight of his career, a title unification bout against the other best fighter in the division, Terence Crawford, on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Postols growing reputation is based almost entirely on two big knockout wins -- but wins against quality opponents in fights that were televised on HBO and both were very impressive.First he drilled Selcuk Aydin, a longtime contender, in the 11th round in May 2014. That victory made him the mandatory challenger for then-world titleholder Danny Garcia, whose team put Postol off as long as it could. And then Garcia vacated the title and moved up in weight. That left Postol, who had stayed busy with a non-televised fight against a low-level opponent on a Garcia undercard, to fight for the vacant 140-pound belt.The mandatory opponent was Lucas Matthysse, a huge puncher and one of the most feared fighters in the division, although he had lost a competitive decision to Garcia in a 2013 title bout.Matthysse was the clear favorite to topple Postol and claim the title, but trainer Freddie Roach had Postol extremely well prepared and he fought masterfully when they met in October, winning by 10th-round knockout in a major upset.I was fighting for the title against one of the strongest punchers in the division, Postol said. The importance of this fight for my career and my life was not lost on me. It was all I thought about during training camp at Wild Card [Roachs gym in Hollywood, California]. Its all I ever wanted since I started boxing in a gym outside Kiev as a 12-year-old boy. I followed Freddies game plan from beginning to end. Even the last combination I landed -- right uppercut, left hook -- we worked on daily.Freddie Roach had me well prepared for that fight. My trainers made me a champion and helped me realize a dream I have had for a very long time. Every time I look at that green belt I will think of Freddie and everyone at Wild Card who helped me become a champion. I loved showing it off to all my friends, family members and fans in Ukraine. I am very proud to represent my country as a world champion.Following that victory, and with Garcia having left the weight class and Matthysse vanquished, Postol was clearly one of the best in the division, along with Crawford, the former lightweight champion from Omaha, Nebraska, who had moved up in weight and won a vacant 140-pound title 15 months ago.It was a very good performance, said Roach, who is going into his fourth bout as Postols trainer. We were in charge of the fight the whole time. Viktor followed the game plan perfectly. I remember before the last round I told our corner that Matthysse was very tired and ready to go out. He was coming in with his head leaning down. We told Viktor, Now is the time for a right uppercut and a left hook. Viktor took him out when he was ready to take him out. He is a good student of the game.Viktor deserved that victory. Ive never had a fighter work harder in training camp than he did. I was so happy for him when the fight was stopped. I just knew that a lot of doors would be opening for him now that he was a world champion and because of how he won that fight. This was, really, one of the greatest wins of my career. ... But I think Viktors performance on [Saturday] will surpass that. We have a solid game plan for Crawford. We are going right at him from the opening bell. This is a real 50-50 fight. The best man will win and the loser will go back to Nebraska.But once again, Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), who will be making his first title defense, is the underdog as he and the 28-year-old Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), the 2014 fighter of the year who will be making defense No. 3, get set to duke it out for division supremacy.But Postol, 32, is confident as is Roach, the Hall of Famer and seven-time trainer of the year. One of the reasons for Postols confidence is the presence of Roach, as respected a trainer as there is in boxing.I do not consider myself an underdog in this fight. Terence Crawfords fans might consider me as the underdog but that does not bother me, Postol said. Im 100 percent confident in myself and in my victory and the reasons are simple. I work harder in training camp than my opponents because I have to, because I want to. I have the best trainer working with me and his name his Freddie Roach. He has been named trainer of the year a record seven times and he is in the Hall of Fame.Crawford has no one like that on his team. Since I have been training with Freddie I have knocked out two of the three opponents I have faced -- Lucas Matthysse and Selcuk Aydin. Both were No. 2 world-rated contenders and both times I was considered the underdog. I have passed every test that I have taken as a professional fighter and with the best teacher in boxing working with me I intend to pass this one with flying colors. This victory will prove to everyone that I am the best fighter at 140 pounds and the king of the division.Postol also enters the fight with a big load off his mind. His wife, Olga, gave birth to their twin boys, Lukian and Timofey, on Tuesday in Ukraine. Postol said when the fight was announced that their impending arrival was big motivation for him because he wanted to bring home one title belt for each baby. Now that they are here, Postol said he has a sense of relief going into the fight.Roach has worked with a whos who of fighters during his career, most notably Manny Pacquiao. He has loved what he has seen from Postol since they hooked up before the Aydin fight and said he will take down another top opponent in Crawford.I do not feel that Viktor is an underdog going into this fight, Roach said. Why should I? In his two toughest tests -- Lucas Matthysse and Selcuk Aydin -- he didnt just knock them out, he took their will to fight away. He broke them down brick by brick. His experience against blue-chip opposition has been great preparation for his fight with Terence Crawford.Dont get me wrong. I have a lot of respect for Crawford. He has a lot of talent. But I think this is going to come down to resumes and I think Postol has fought tougher and better opponents than Crawford. Postol even spent an entire training camp with Manny Pacquiao in 2014 when Manny was preparing for Chris Algieri. Viktor more than held his own against Manny. Crawford is going to find out that defending a title against Hank Lundy and Dierry Jean is a lot different than fighting a fellow undefeated world champion like Viktor Postol. A win for Viktor will mean that the U.S. and the world has a new star in boxing. A star as bright as boxing has ever seen. Discount Sneakers Online . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Balenciaga Sneakers Sale . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. http://www.outletsneakersclearance.com/fake-air-jordan.html .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Air Max 95 China Wholesale . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Wholesale Air Max 270 . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise.Israel Idonije has Sept. 29 and Nov. 10 circled on his calendar. Those are the days the Detroit Lions will face their arch rivals, the Chicago Bears, this season. After spending nine years in the Windy City, the Canadian defensive lineman will don the Lions colours this season after signing a one-year deal in Motown as a free agent. The six-foot-six, 271-pound Idonije, a native of Nigeria who grew up in Brandon, Man., has no axe to grind against his former team. "Every week you prepare to play a different team, thats football," Idonije said during a telephone interview this week. "I know its a business and its all part of it. "Chicago has a new regime there and wanted its own people and I understand that. Now, Im just looking forward to suiting up and getting after it on the field twice a year when we play the Bears. I feel the same way when I play the Cleveland Browns because I was with them my first year and I always make sure they remember I was once a Brown." The articulate Idonije originally signed with Cleveland in 2003 as an undrafted free agent following his college career at Brandon. He began the season on the Browns practice roster but was waived before joining Chicagos practice roster later that year. Idonije spent nine seasons with the Bears, registering 28.5 career sacks and 272 tackles over 134 career games. He had a career-best 7.5 sacks last year and new GM Phil Emery -- who hired former CFL head coach Marc Trestman this off-season -- wanted Idonije back but at substantially less than the US$2.5 million the 32-year-old defensive lineman earned in 2012. Idonije had met with both Tennessee and San Francisco this off-season before reaching an agreement with Detroit. Contract details werent divulged but Idonije will reportedly receive $1.005 million with the Lions -- the $940,000 veteran minimum along with a $65,000 signing bonus. Idonije gives the Lions plenty of flexibility on its defensive line as he played both tackle and end effectively in Chicago. The expectation is Idonije will see more time on the outside with Detroit given that Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley have established themselves as starters at tackle. The addition of Idonije would also give the Lions the luxury of bringing defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah, the fifth overall selection in this years NFL draft, along slowly. Althouggh he signed a one-year contract, Idonije says he has plenty of good football left.dddddddddddd "I think I have two, three great years still in me," he said. "My first six years I didnt really play a lot and I think that helped save my body. "The last three years Ive been able to play at a high level and Im looking forward to doing what I can to help the Detroit Lions win a championship." Idonije played in Super bowl XLI when Chicago squared off against Indianapolis in the rain at Miami but it was the Colts who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy afterwards following a 29-17 victory. While Idonije will have to adjust to a new team and city, there will be a sense of familiarity for him in Detroit. The Lions, like the Bears, are part of the NFC North (Green Bay and Minnesota are the other division rivals) which means theyll play six games against teams Idonije has faced often over his NFL career. "Detroit just seemed like the best fit for me," he said. "When you look at the guys Ill be lining up with (on the defensive line) and all the weapons they have on offence, it was a great opportunity. "Its tough leaving Chicago after being there so long . . . but again you have to look at this as a business. When you do, it becomes easier to make that adjustment and focus on the next step." Idonije certainly stayed busy while his football future sorted itself out this off-season. He operates Blessed Communion -- a company that manufactures communion products -- as well as his charity, the Israel Idonije Foundation, both in Chicago. And earlier this year Idonije unveiled "The Protectors," his debut comic book series roughly three years after he created Altheta Comics, a publishing company. "Its something I started working on in 2007 at training camp," Idonije said. "Its a story about athletes who must save the world from an evil force looking to enslave all of humanity." Idonije comes by his love of comics honestly, saying he became a big fan of them as a youth. His first exposure was with a Green Lantern series and he became hooked immediately. But dont expect Idonije to feature himself in The Protectors. "No, not at all," he said. "I just think were telling a great story and Ive got a few more Id like to see unfold in the future." ' ' '