LAS VEGAS — One of the narratives heading into Saturday's WBO welterweight title defense against Shawn Porter was how Terence Crawford would handle the most significant and toughest opponent of his stellar career. He'd been criticized for not facing the cream of the crop at 147 pounds. Would he deliver under the brightest of lights?
Those questions have been laid to rest for good as Crawford did what Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia, and Keith Thurman failed to do. Crawford dropped Porter twice in the tenth round, which led to Porter's head trainer and father, Kenny, to get on the apron and tell the referee his son could no longer continue at 1:21 of the tenth round. DAZN News had the fight scored 86-85 for Crawford at the time of the stoppage. It was the first time Porter's been stopped in his stellar career.
“Shawn Porter is a good fighter," Crawford said in his post-fight interview. "He was doing some little slick things in there, making me think. I knew I caught him with a good uppercut, and then when I caught him with another left hook, I saw on his face he was real hurt. His dad did the right thing by stopping it, because I was coming with a vengeance.”
It was a back-and-forth battle from the opening bell. Crawford and Porter each had their moments. Porter was his customary self by coming in, applying constant pressure and swinging away. It took Crawford a little time to get used to Porter's bulldog style.
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) started quickly switching stances and throwing combinations. From the middle of the fight on, Crawford stayed in the southpaw stance.
In the sixth round, Crawford gained control of the fight. He began landing the crisper and harder shots to the body and upstairs which started taking their toll on Porter. You could see Porter starting to tire with each passing round.
Then the beginning of the end came right at the start of the tenth round, Porter missed a combo and Crawford slid quickly and blasted a laser straight left to the chin. Porter made it back up to signal he was ok.
Crawford smelled blood. He connected with left and then a chopping right from Crawford. The Nebraska native landed a right hand followed by a left and one more right sends Porter down for the second time. He slowly made it up to his feet. But Kenny told the referee that says his son is done. Porter was upset at his father's action as Crawford jumped up and down in excitement.
The logical fight to make is between Crawford-Spence. The unified welterweight champion was at the fight. He was shown by the crowd. They loudly booed him as he then proceeded to get up in disgust and left the arena.
“He was at my fight?," Crawford said. "That boy said he wasn’t gonna never be at my fights, and now he’s at my fights. You see what I did compared to what he did,” he said. “Who’s number one in the welterweight division now? I’ve been calling him out all day. Maybe I’ll go up to 154. Maybe if Spence gets his tail out of his butt, he’ll fight me.”
If there were any questions about Terence Crawford, they have been answered.
Here was DAZN News' live coverage of Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter.
Crawford def. Porter via TKO at 1:21 of the tenth round.
Porter missed a combo and Crawford drops him with a straight left chin. Porter makes it up. A combo lands for Crawford. A left and a chopping right from Crawford.
Crawford lands a right hand then a left and one more right sends Porter down for the second time. He tries to get up and then slowly makes it up to his feet. But Porter's father and trainer Kenny is on the apron with the towel and says his son is done. Porter is upset as Crawford is excited.
If there were any questions about Terence Crawford, they have been answered.
Crawford coming out with a couple of jabs. Another jab from Crawford. A left cracks Crawford's head. Right to the body from Porter. A left uppercut stuns Porter for a moment. An exchange of rights as Crawford smiles again. Double left from Crawford to close the round. (10-9 Crawford, 86-85 Crawford)
Left hook from Crawford to begin the eighth. Combination of hooks from Crawford. Porter comes back with a combo of his own. Crawford comes back with a combo. Great sequence.
A trade of jabs. A left from Porter and a right from Crawford. Hard right from Porter. Best punch of the round. An overhand right from Porter. Hard left to the body. (10-9 Porter, 76-76)
Two chopping rights from Crawford. With Crawford against the ropes, Porter lands a stiff right hand. Porter lunges in and Crawford times a crisp right uppercut. Another right from Crawford, Porter throws a combo and Crawford digs a left to the body. Crawford keeps smiling at Porter. (10-9 Crawford, 67-66 Crawford)
Trade of jabs. Snapping left hook from Crawford. Four-punch combination from Crawford. Another hard left from Crawford. Porter is swinging and missing. Hard left to the body from Crawford. An exchange of shots. Straight left from Crawford. Left uppercut from Crawford. An accidental eyepoke to Crawford. Short timeout and we resume.
Another combo ending with a left hook from Crawford. An exchange of body shots. (10-9 Crawford, 57-57)
A right from Porter. Another right from Porter. A short left hook to Porter's chin. A left from Porter. Stinging jab from Crawford. A hard left from Crawford. Combination from Porter but most of the shots were blocked. Three hard lefts to the body from Crawford to end the round but not enough to get it. (10-9 Porter, 48-47 Porter)
A left by Crawford to begin round four. A quick right sends Porter back. Crawford misses a left but doesn't with the right. Crawford is in a rhythm and the crowd feels it. A right sends Crawford back.
Now a "Porter" chant. What a scene. A hard left to the body from Crawford as Porter rushed in. Porter is daring Crawford to hit when he's in the corner. He didn't bite. (10-9 Crawford, 38-38)
A jab by Porter. A left from Crawford. A game of chess going on as neither guy is doing much. Porter sends Crawford to the ropes with a left. Crawford is laughing and talking at Porter. A left by Crawford and Porter is a bad cut right above the right eye. Crawford lands a left. They tussle all the way to the ropes at the sound of the bell. Crawford puts his gloves to tell Porter to meet him in the middle of the ring to begin the fourth. (10-9 Porter, 29-28 Porter)
Porter comes right out and is in Crawford's space. An exchange of jabs. A right stuns Porter for a moment. Porter comes back and sends Crawford back with a right of his own. Crawford smiles at him. A right from Crawford. Porter with a left and Crawford blasts a right. They are trading and the crowd is going nuts. Crawford is the one stalking. A hard left to the body from Crawford to end the round. (10-9 Crawford, 19-19)
Porter applying pressure early. A right to the body and a right upstairs from Porter. He's giving Crawford no time to get his feet wet. Loud "Crawford" chants inside the Michelob Ultra Arena. Crawford misses a right. A jab from Crawford but Porter fires one of his own. Triple jab to the body from Porter. Couldn't ask for a better start if you are a Porter fan. (10-9 Porter)
It is time for the main event as Terence Crawford defends the WBO welterweight title againsrt Shawn Porter. The time for talking is over. Can Crawford win the big one? Will Porter spoil the party? We should be in for a treat.
Falcao def. Volny via technical decision (56-58, 58-57, 58-56).
In what was shaping up to be an action-packed fight, there was an accidental clash of heads with 0:42 left in the round. A massive gash emerged above Falcao's left eye. The referee deemed that Volny could no longer continue. When the fight is stopped like that after the fourth round, the fight goes to the judges' scorecards.
What a shame the fight ended the way it did as it was shaping up to be a good one.
It's time for the co-main event of Crawford-Porter as Esquiva Falcao (28-0, 20 KOs) squares off with Patrice Volny (16-0, 10 KOs) in middleweight action.
Alimkhanuly def. N'Dam via TKO at 2:40 of the eighth round.
This was a one-sided beating. Alimkhanuly battered N'Dam with one left hand after another in damaging the former champion's nose. To N'Dam's credit, beyond the knockdown at the end of the third round, he showed a ton of guts absorbing the heavy blows. But referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough of the onslaught and waved it off. Unlike the previous contest, a good stoppage here from Bayless. N'Dam wasn't going to win the fight. No reason to let him absorb more punishment.
An impressive showing from Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs). He showed he could work well on the inside and has an excellent left hand. However, I would have liked to see him put the foot on the gas a little more as he could've put N'Dam away sooner than he did.
As soon as we say that, we get some action. With time winding down, Alimkhanuly starts finding a home for the left hand. The final one sends N'Dam to the canvas. He makes it up to his feet at the bell. Only seems a matter of time before it's over.
We are midway through the third round and there hasn't been too much action. Alimkhanuly and N'Dam are more concerned about talking trash than actual fighting and the crowd is showing their disdain.
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