TERENCE CRAWFORD was told Shawn Porter was leading their fight – sparking a stunning stoppage just seconds later.
The unbeaten WBO welterweight champion was nine rounds into his title defence when an outsider from his corner said Porter was up.
Crawford’s sensational exchange and stunned look was all captured by Top Rank cameras, who revealed the remarkable conversation.
The American was told: “Hey, this fight is close. Porter’s up. This is (round) ten.”
Crawford, 34, looking out the ring, asked: “I’m up? He’s up? How?”
He is then told: “C’mon Bud, pay attention to me. Round ten coming up.”
Crawford the tells a member of his corner: “They say he up. They say he up.”
He then added: “He’s up? OK.”
Crawford, at the time, was ahead on all three judges scorecards, but was clearly fired up by the ringside claims that he was behind.
Almost instantly after the tenth bell sounded, he floored Porter with a ferocious combination.
Porter’s father and coach Kenny, could be heard saying: “Focus. Get your head together. Hands up.”
Referee Celestino Ruiz then says: “Are you OK? Would you like to continue?”
Porter recovered but was soon floored again with a similar combination of relentless uppercuts and hooks.
The challenger banged his gloves against the canvas and for a second time made it to his feet.
‘REF, THAT’S IT’
But Kenny shouted: “No, no. No, no, give me the towel. It’s over. No, give me the towel.”
In the other corner, Crawford’s coach Brian McIntyre, said: “Oh, they stopped it. They stopped it.”
Kenny, on the ring apron, barked: “Yo, ref. Ref, that’s that. That’s that. That’s it. That’s it.”
The fight was then waved off, giving Porter his fourth loss and unbeaten Crawford his 38th win.
Kenny in the post-fight interview explained his decision to throw the towel in was down to issues in the training camp.
He said: “Honestly? His preparation. He didn’t prepare like I wanted him to. That just makes me say, ‘You know what? I don’t want him in that situation.’
Shawn was hurt. And moving forward, this guy, like I said, he’s a sharp fighter. And my kid is at a deficit at that point.
Coach Kenny Porter
“He fought a great fighter. The guy’s super sharp. And [Shawn is] at a deficit.
“It’s like fighting this guy blindfolded when you’re in a deficit like that. So I wasn’t going to let that happen to him.”
“When guys get to a certain level they believe they know what they’re doing and they don’t necessarily take all the information.
“So this is where we’re at with it. And I had to make that decision. It was an easy decision for me. Easy.
“He lives right across the street from me. I’ll be having breakfast with him in the morning.
“Shawn was hurt. And moving forward, this guy, like I said, he’s a sharp fighter. And my kid is at a deficit at that point.
“He can’t defend himself like he should. And I had to protect him.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
