Whicker: Crawford withstands Porter, wins a tough title fight in the 10th

LAS VEGAS — Shawn Porter has to settee for Miss Congeniality again.

The well-respected welterweight pushed Terence Crawford hard astatine Mandalay Bay Saturday night, conscionable arsenic helium did Keith Thurman and Errol Spence.

But it’s a athletics of levels, and Crawford proved to beryllium 1 level above.

The WBO champ broke unfastened an interesting, tactical combat successful the 10th circular erstwhile helium knocked down Porter twice. Porter’s country stopped it astatine that point, and present Crawford, victor by TKO, looks for bigger, richer things.

Crawford led 5-4 astatine the clip of the stoppage connected 2 judges’ cards and 6-3 connected the other.

This was a accidental for Crawford to marque his astir awesome prima turn. Even though helium arrived with a 37-0 grounds and 28 knockouts, helium hadn’t had a accidental for a genuinely notable pay-per-view combat earlier this one.

By contrast, Porter had acold much acquisition against apical fighters. All 3 men who bushed him were undefeated astatine the time, and helium had wins implicit WBA champ Yordenis Ugas, Adrien Broner and Danny Garcia. He besides mislaid a thrilling divided determination to Errol Spence successful Staples Center 2 years ago. Eleven of Porter’s past 15 opponents were either champs astatine the clip oregon erstwhile champs.

However, Porter hasn’t stopped anyone since Andre Berto successful 2017. Nine of Crawford’s past 10 opponents failed to get to the decorativeness line, with Viktor Postol the lone objection successful 2016.

Crawford besides had won 15 consecutive rubric fights since helium went to Scotland and dethroned lightweight champ Ricky Burns successful 2014.

After the accustomed feel-out archetypal round, Crawford seemed to get a grip connected the region betwixt him and Porter and scored. At the extremity of the circular helium tagged Porter with a left, and Porter attempted to congratulate him by slapping his glove, but Crawford walked away.

The 3rd circular provided much action. Porter deed the platform successful what was ruled a gaffe by referee Celestino Diaz, but Porter besides knocked Crawford against the ropes with a right. Crawford began to marque immoderate inroads with near uppercuts, changing leads during rounds arsenic helium often does.

Crawford seemed to beryllium enjoying himself thoroughly during those rounds, adjacent though helium wasn’t dominating. He smiled astatine Porter erstwhile the 3rd circular ended, and helium dodged Porter’s onslaught successful the 4th circular and watched him tally face-first into the turnbuckle.

Through it all, Porter was acold much judicious than helium was against Spence, erstwhile helium spent astir of that combat successful Spence’s face. Whenever helium did close, Crawford conscionable hooked Porter’s arms and forced a clinch, enforcing his tallness and spot advantages.

Porter seemed to get the champion of the champ successful Round 5, stepping up his attack, but Crawford was not adjacent to being wounded and got disconnected immoderate crisp shots arsenic the circular came to an end.

But Crawford, going southpaw, opened the sixth circular powerfully with hooks and near leads.

Porter tried to punch his mode done Crawford’s clinches successful Round 7, but mostly Crawford controlled the circular with side-to-side movement. In the last seconds, helium enactment unneurotic a mates of combos, smiled astatine his opponent, and watched Porter shingle his caput and locomotion to the country a 2nd oregon 2 earlier the doorbell sounded.

The ninth circular was much of the same, with Crawford allowing Porter to flight from the ropes and attempting to show his antiaircraft game. Near the end, helium smacked Porter with a near pb crossed the face, and present you began to spot Porter bent connected for relief.

It ended with a bang, oregon a mates of them, successful the 10th. Crawford caught Porter with a near and knocked him down, and Porter sat determination for a infinitesimal oregon so, with a quizzical look. He didn’t look to beryllium hurt, but Crawford opened up erstwhile they got backmost together. As Porter missed a mates of chaotic shots, Crawford waited and delivered a clubbing close manus to the broadside of the face. He added a mates of lefts for punctuation, and erstwhile Porter went down this time, helium smacked the level hard, frustrated, with his close mitt

He didn’t get a accidental to settee accounts. Eighty-one seconds into the round, Porter’s cornerrmen went to the ringing apron and indicated it was over, though their antheral didn’t agree.

Soon Crawford was dancing with his ma successful the mediate of the ring. It appeared helium could dance, and fight, each night.

And soon aft that, the videoboard showed Spence, the IBF champ, wearing a White Sox hat. As the Crawford fans booed, Spence shook his caput and made his mode out. Like it oregon not, he’s the lone welterweight near standing.