Terence Crawford silenced any doubters last night, stopping former champion Shawn Porter in the 10th round of their title bout. The undefeated welterweight champion cemented himself as the top fighter in the division with a TKO victory over a big time opponent who represented his toughest test to date.
With the win, fans and promoters alike are now salivating over the potential of a Crawford vs. Spence Jr. matchup, which has been stuck in neutral as the politics of boxing have kept the two fighters from inking any deals. Detractors of Crawford cited the lack of recognizable names on his record as a reason to doubt his greatness. However after putting on an impressive performance against Porter, that argument is now clearly out the window.
Porter, who has now fought both Spence and Crawford praised his opponent in the post fight interview stating “He’s the best out of everybody I have been in the ring with…That man hit me with more than anybody I’ve been in the ring with.” Porter, who up until this point had never been stopped by any opponent, shocked many fight fans by announcing his retirement following the bout. “I was prepared to announce my retirement tonight, win, lose or draw…Even if it was a draw … I was not going to do it again. I’m announcing my retirement right now…After you’ve fought everybody at the top, what more could I do? I’m not going to be a gatekeeper; that’s not the life I want to live. I never wanted to lead the life of a fighter who fought into his 40s.”
Following the impressive win, the media in attendance wanted to know if this meant a Spence vs. Crawford superfight would finally become a reality. Unfortunately, Top Rank founder Bob Arum seemed more interested in promoting a potential matchup between Crawford and undisputed Junior Welterweight champion Josh Taylor than giving fans the fight they’ve been begging to see for years. Citing potential PPV buys from the UK, Arum laid the groundwork for why Taylor could be a more lucrative opponent than Spence Jr.
So while Crawford firmly planted his flag at the top of the division Saturday night, for now it would appear that fans will have to wait a little bit longer to get their dream matchup. Afterall, when it comes to boxing, the almighty dollar always has the final say.