TERENCE CRAWFORD defends his WBO welterweight crown in a potentially career-defining clash against Shawn Porter.
Fighting for the first time in over a year, Bud puts his unbeaten 37-0 record on the line in Sin City against former WBC champion Showtime.
Crawford is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, but has struggled to lure the very best welterweights into the ring since stepping up from 140lbs.
Porter represents that challenge and it promises to be a hugely exciting showdown in Las Vegas, with titles and reputations on the line.
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BUD RIGHT
The champ says: “I figured out in round one that I would win because I had the reach.
“He wanted to maul and push me back but I did it back to him.
“Shawn Porter is a good fighter, but I knew when I dropped him with the uppercut and then again that his dad would stop it.
“I will fight whoever wants it next, everyone knws who I want (Errol Spence)
“I told him I love him, Shawn Porter is a really good fried of mine and I never wanted to fight him.”
POPPA PORTER
Dad claims he pulled his boy out after a poor training camp.
He said: “He did not prepare like I wanted him to prepare, he fought a great fighter but he was fighting the guy blind folded.
“It was an easy decision for me, Shawn was hurt and Crawford is sharp so he could not defend himself like he usually could.”
CRAW DADDY
Bud celebrates in teh ring with his mum and sister.
Rival welterweight champ Errol Spence was ringside stormed out after what he saw as an early stoppage.
Porter says: “My father knows what he needs to do, we have an unspoken understanding.
“My timing was off, I tried to catch him off his gameplan.
“He hit me more than anyone I have been in the ring with – he is that good that I want to do it again.”
SHAWN POOR-TER
The defeated American is gutted in his corner, his father pulled him out after wo quick knockdowns.
Porter did not seem seriously hurt.
The first was a brilliant left uppercut after a trademark Porter lunge.
Then he folded him again with right hook around the ear.
Ruthless punishing precision punching from Bud Crawford.
CRAWFORD BEATS PORTER – R10
Porter down!
Crawford walks him on to a peach of a shot at the start of the stanza and he takes an eight count.
Porter down again!
Porter gets up after being belted into the ground and his dad pulls him out!
Seemed a very early pull-out from trainer and father Kenny Porter
But the warriors hug and talk and return to being friends.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R9
Cagiest session so far, both men know they are in with a shout.
Porter might have lost that round right at the end by getting caught on another bold lunge forward.
Crawford is asking his corner who is winning and seems bemused someone says Porter… can he take it away from the judges?
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R8
Porter dives in and suffers an uppercut and left hand.
Crawford scoring heavily and early in the round.
Porter still pushing the pace and piling on pressure at all times.
Porter lands and hurts Bud with a right.
Razor thin rounds slipping by – Bud’s corner tell him that was his…
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R7
Team Porter have done great work on his cut.
Bud lands a straight left but Porter eats it and marches on.
Crawford scores with a one-two right on the bell.
Porter’s dad tells him to stick with double-jabs-right-hand combinations.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R6
Team Crawford tell their man to get behind his jab and box Porter to defeat.
Bud unloads and Porter shows great head movement and defence.
Porter now guilty of a head clash as Bud is cut around his eye too.
Porter desperate to make this is a dog fight with no rules.
Some of these sessions are so tight to call.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R5
Crawford scores with a counter left hand after another Porter lunge.
Bud covers up and absorbs a dozen shots on his arms and gloves.
Crawford lands with a couple of whipped lefts right on the bell so Porter survives.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R4
Porter’s corner is complaining about a clash of heads causing the cut.
Porter’s right eye is slashed open so Bud will target it.
Crawford lands a left to Porter’s body and wobbles him.
Porter connects with a right hand that barrels Bud back into the ropes but he dances out of danger.
Bud is timing Porter’s assaults now and countering well.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R3
Crawford is pawing with his new lead right hand.
Porter is trying to suck Bud into a corner to exchange fire.
Bud is grinning and talking and Porter appears cut on his right eyebrow.
Porter hits the deck but it is rightly ruled a slip.
And a wrestling match breaks out for the final five seconds – this is a war.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R2
Bud switches to southpaw and tries to land a check hook as Porter dives in, no joy.
Porter lands a right hand and Crawford stumbles backwards briefly.
Porter lands again and the fight explodes into action.
Bud tags him nack on the counter but Porter is landing more cleanm shots.
Then bang on the bell Bud lands a bollo left that buzzed Porter.
CRAWFORD VS PORTER – R1
Porter hurls himself in from the off with a booming right hand.
Switch-hitter Crawford starts in the orthodox stance, leading with his left hand.
Bud fizzes out a couple of jabs, Porter spears to the body and then loops a left hook at Bud’s head.
Busy bullying start from Porter, exactly as expected, he may have nicked that with the judges…
WAIT OVER
Bud Crawford looks sublime in white with black trim, jabbing to body and head in his changing room.
Porter is draped in orange and black with tributes to Marvin Hagler on his robe.
These friends and compatriots are putting it all aside to attack each other very soon.
Will Bud cope against an elite welter? Can Porter become a three-time world champion?
FALCAO BEATS VOLNY BY SD
The judges scored the middleweight clash: 58-57 Falcao, 58-56 Volney and 58-56 Falcao
Falcao probably knew he had won the eariest rounds and could bank on getting the nod.
That skull-on-skull crack sounded disgusting on the replay too.
FALCAO VS VOLNY – R6
A dog fight is breaking out just as a sickening head clash slashes a gruesome wound into Falcao’s forehead.
It seems unlikely the fight will go on, Falcao screamed in agony and the doctors are working on him.
The gash is arcing over Falcao’s left eye, deep and curved and oozing.
Falcao has up to five minutes to recover and continue from the accidental head butt.
But Falcao has claimed he cannot continue so we go to the judges’ scorecards for a technical decision.
FALCAO VS VOLNY – R5
Falcao was enjoying that round but then the Brazilian was clipped by a left hook and looked troubled for the first time.
Volny has shaken off any fear he had of facing his middleweight rival and KO specialist.
But Falcao is a known slow started so could he just be warming up to a spectacular finish?
FALCAO VS VOLNY – R4
Volny has grown into this fight and looks more confident now than when they began.
Falcao enjoyed three dominant rounds but failed to inflict any damage.
The ref warns Falcao over head clashes after the two middleweights clash like stags in a field.
Volny hears another bell…
FALCAO VS VOLNY – R3
Volny’s guard is so high and tight that Falcao will have to do something special to get the knockout.
If Falcao can land around the unguarded ribs then he could do some damage.
This is Volny’s best round but he still might not have won it with the judges.
FALCAO VS VOLNY – R2
Pony-tailed Volny just trying to survive so far.
Falcao has enjoyed success with pressure and with counter punching so far.
Volny does not seem to have much ambition here and Falcao is a slow-starter.
So something tasty should kick off pretty soon.
FALCAO VS VOLNY – R1
‘Vicious’ Volny with a helluva pre-fight stare on him, trying to intimidate the Brazilian.
The Samba southpaw already looks a higher level though and peppers the Canadian until he covers up.
Volny was lucky to survive that opener as he spent the last 30 seconds tucked up and getting pelted with shots.
This does not look like a long fight…
ONE MORE TO GO
Another middleweight clash before we get to Crawford vs Porter.
Esquiva Falcao, a Brazilian banger, faces Patrice Volny.
Both men are unbeaten but Falcao has faced the far better calibre of opponent.
Someone’s 0 has got to go but will it be sensationally?
JHANIBEK BEATS NDAM – R8
Jhanibek is seven rounds ahead but he definitely told his corner he has hurt his left power hand.
The southpaw is trying to stick to throwing jabs to protect the hurt fist.
Ndam now has a great chance to survive and here the final bell of the 10-round fight.
Ndam is still getting whacked though and the white on his shorts is turning bright pink.
And the ref jumps in to stop things as Ndam was getting pasted once again.
JHANIBEK VS NDAM – R7
Ndam backed onto the ropes and pelted again, he bounces off and othem like a trampoline.
The Frenchman needs a second break to ave the tape on his bloodied gloves reapplied.
Ad Ndam survives another session – maybe Jhanibek isn’t the savage we thought he is?
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
