Terence Crawford Fight Tonight
LAS VEGAS -- Terence Crawford dismantled Errol Spence Jr. in a tour de force performance, scoring a ninth-round TKO in the long-awaited super fight to capture the undisputed welterweight championship on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
In December, Crawford defeated Russian boxer Avanesyan via knockout. In March 2023, Spence and Crawford revealed that they had a roughly 30-minute phone call in February with getting the deal over the line after Spence appeared headed for a fight with American boxer Keith Thurman at 154 pounds.
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Yet if ‘Bud’ gets the job done against Madrimov and then Fundora, that would just leave Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF) in Crawford’s way to become a three-weight undisputed champion after just three fights in the division.
A former WBA interim champion, Avanesyan enters this welterweight title bout on a six-fight stoppage streak dating back to 2019, when he captured the European welterweight championship. He defended that title five times before he recently decided to vacate and challenge Crawford for his WBO crown. Avanesyan is ranked top ten by three of the recognized sanctioning organizations. His will to keep his winning streak intact is not to be discarded and will certainly bring forth an entertaining fight.
After the bout Crawford, who became the undisputed light-welterweight champion in 2017, let his feelings pour out. "I’ve got so many emotions I could cry now," he said. "Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, I made them believers."
"I was just warming up in the earlier rounds," Crawford said after the fight. "I just started picking up the pace, planting my seeds, and hit him with the hook. We knew what time is terence crawford fight he was going to bring to the table, from orthodox to southpaw."
In 2007, Crawford earned a gold medal in the U.S. Pan American Games Box-Offs in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a bronze medal in the U.S. National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as in the Pan American Games Qualifier in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
Their contracts include an immediate rematch clause that the loser must activate within 30 days of July 29. According to language in their agreements, their second fight must take place prior to the end of 2023.
At the time of the stoppage, Crawford was up on all three scorecards: 86-85, 86-85 and 87-84. Porter routinely barreled inside and kept Crawford off balance with aggression and pressure. But Crawford began to time Porter's advances and then picked him off with counters that eventually wore down the former two-time champion.
Round 4: Crawford is still looking for moments to counter the aggressive Porter. But in the meantime, Crawford is landing some big punches. Crawford hit Porter with a clean straight right out of the southpaw stance and got Porter trapped in the corner. 10-9, Crawford, 38-38.
Round 11: Let’s just say this one is not a barnburner. Kalajdzic snaps a jab into Morrell’s grill. Morrell lunges forward and snaps Kalajdzic’s head back with a looping right. Big uppercut followed by a straight left for Morrell. He pressures Kalajdzic into the ropes but can’t get any offense going. Snappy one-two from Kalajdzic. Monster right hand from Kalajdzic slams into Morrell’s head! And another! Morrell ate those well but those were good shots. Morrell pressures him into the corner and tries to flurry but Kalajdzic defends well. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kalajdzic. (105-104 Morrell.)
"I say hell no to . I love the sport so much," said Donaire. "I’ll see where we go from here. I couldn’t pull the trigger at some moments. I was trying to counter too much with too much power. I was trying to fight like a warrior."
Crawford is surely so far ahead on the cards that he can afford a quiet round, but almost everything he has done in this fight has been on point. His defending has been strong, and his punches well placed and well timed.
Jose Valenzuela, top, looks to punch Isaac Cruz during a super lightweight championship boxing match in Los Angeles, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. Valenzuela won by split decision. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Spence was the aggressor early on, but Crawford sent him to the floor with a right hand with 20 seconds left in the second round. Then Crawford went after Spence, but time ran out before he could finish him off.
"Every belt I’ve gotten I’ve taken from somebody. I beat champion after champion. I’m going through the ringer fighting the best guys in my division. There’s a big difference between facing a champion and someone without a belt. The guys with the belts have a lot more to fight for.
The buildup of the bout between Terence "Bud" Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. has been mostly respectful and cordial, but both fighters have promised mean intentions and fireworks once the first bell rings.