Now we know for sure.
Terence Crawford, the fighter who many believed had a flimsy resume, proved that he can deliver a dominating performance against an elite-level opponent Saturday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Shawn Porter gave him hell for most of the fight but Crawford ultimately seized control and finished with a bang, putting Porter down twice and stopping him the 10th round.
Thus, Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) retained his WBO welterweight title. More important, he finally has his defining victory and a stronger argument for being the top 147-pounder and best fighter in the world pound-for-pound.
“Who’s No. 1 in the welterweight division now?” Crawford bellowed to the spectators in Las Vegas, who responded with cheers.
That was a shot at Errol Spence Jr., who holds the IBF and WBC welterweight titles. If comparisons matter, Spence defeated Porter by a split decision in September 2019.
That doesn’t mean that Crawford had an easy time on Saturday. No one can cruise past Porter, who fought with controlled and effective aggression that kept the fight competitive almost until the end.
Crawford held his own from the opening bell but had difficulty separating himself from his slick, experienced opponent.
It wasn’t until the second half of the fight when Crawford seemed to find a groove and begin landing his power shots with consistency, which allowed him to claim the momentum down the stretch.
Porter started to slow down in Round 9, when it seemed as if he was preserving energy. However, Crawford’s punches might’ve begun to take a toll on him.
Still, the ending came suddenly. About 15 seconds into Round 10 Porter lunged at Crawford, who unloaded a short left uppercut that put Porter on his behind in the first truly dramatic moment of the fight. He got up but there was more trouble ahead.
About a minute later Crawford landed a hard right and followed with a three-punch combination, which sent Porter to the canvas again. He pounded the canvas in frustration but was able to get to get to his feet again before referee Celestino Ruiz reached the count of 10.
Only this time his father/trainer Kenny Porter, had seen enough. He signaled to the referee that he wanted to stop the fight and that was that. It ended at 1:21.
“Shawn was hurt. Moving forward, like I said, [Crawford is] 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,” said the elder Porter, who also was critical of his son’s preparation.
Crawford said he had no doubt Porter was finished after the first knockdown.
“I seen in his face that he was real hurt,” he said. “And you know his dad did the right thing by stopping because I was coming with a vengeance.”
It’s no secret who Crawford wants next. He was unaware that Spence was in the crowd until an interviewer told him so. That’s when he asked the fans in attendance to tell him and the world who they believe is the best welterweight.
He would love to prove it in the ring.
“You already know who I want,” he said. “I’ve been calling him out all day, you know what I mean? Maybe I’ll go up to 154. Maybe Spence with get his tail out of his butt and fight me.
“Whatever, I mean whatever,” he added, sounding exasperated.
One thing is certain: A showdown between Crawford and Spence would be bigger than ever after Saturday night.