American Terence Crawford retained his WBO title in Las Vegas on Saturday, beating compatriot Shawn Porter by technical knockout.
Having already defended his title four times, the last in November 2020 by defeating Kell Brook, Crawford faced a boxer of his caliber for the first time in Porter, and both boxers lived up to expectations.
The bout was stopped on the 10th round by Porter’s team, after Porter’s twice ended up on the ground.
Throughout the face-to-face, which proved to be balanced and hotly contested, both Crawford and Porter, both 34, were mobile, active and dynamic in the ring.
They both suffered cuts to their eyebrows from accidental head butts, but that didn’t stop them from continuing as the bleeding was brought under control.
In contrast, the falls on Porter’s 10th round caused his father and trainer, Kenny, to quit the fight, much to his son’s dismay and to the delight of “Bud.”
“Who’s the best welterweight now?” Crawford exclaimed in front of some 11,000 spectators at the Michelob Ultra Arena, including a certain Errol Spence Jr., WBC and IBF welterweight champion, who did not appreciate these About and left the room at this point. He even cracked a mocking tweet about Porter: “If I was Shawn, I wouldn’t pay my dad.”
Although he did not dominate, as usual, the entire fight, Crawford was more precise and more in control, him who laughed when Porter gave him his best hooks.
He was above all a better finisher, sending Porter to the mat, and although he seemed able to continue, he was still very touched. He suffered his 4th defeat, his first by KO, in 36 fights (31 wins, 1 draw).
Despite his loss and even though he was in his first fight in nearly 15 months, Porter rose to the challenge of Crawford, the latter showing the competition that he had to be counted on to win against a big name like Porter. , former IBF and WBC welterweight champion.
This is the ninth consecutive KO victory for Crawford (38 fights, 38 wins), who won the WBO title in June 2018 after a technical KO victory over Jeff Horn.
The native of Omaha (Nebraska) was also playing his sixth welterweight fight, after having fought in the lightweight and welterweight.
He may soon have the opportunity to compete against other welterweight champions, American Errol Spence Jr. or Cuban Yordenis Ugas (WBA).