Terence Crawford v Shawn Porter: WBO welterweight championship – live! – The Guardian

That’s all for tonight. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out the full fight report here.

Here’s a look at the official scorecard. Crawford was leading by scores of 86-85 (twice) and 87-84 at the time of the stoppage. (The Guardian had it 86-85 to Crawford.)

“He’s been in there with everybody,” Crawford says. “He did what he could. I was just the better man tonight.”

Asked when he was able to figure Porter out, Crawford is to the point: “Round one. I figured out I had the reach. He had to take chancces to get in. I was stronger than him.”

The most devastating finisher in the sport did what he does best. Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr makes it official, calling it at 1:21 of the 10th round. Terence Crawford improves to 38 wins in 38 fights with 29 coming inside the distance.

Crawford catches Porter with a left uppercut in an exchange early in the round and Porter goes down! Porter doesn’t look hurt, beating the count easily. And moments later Crawford drops Porter again with a lightning-quick combination capped by a right hook to the temple … and Porter’s father and trainer Kenny is up on the apron and he’s stopping the fight. It’s over! Terence Crawford wins by stoppage!

Round 9

Porter is looking for the overhand right that’s been giving Crawford such trouble. Crawford lands a sneaky check hook out of the southpaw stance. A crisp body shot from Porter, who’s slowed down his work rate somewhat. Porter now looks to be taking a round off to economize energy. Two nice body shots by Crawford, who’s landed the cleaner, more effective blows in the frame.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 10-9 Porter (Crawford 86-85 Porter)

Round 8

Porter lands a massive overhand right hand in the center of the rin that seems to buckle Crawford, then follows it up with another one. And another! Crawford roars back with a crunching left to the body that seems to hurt Porter. High-level stuff from both men but probably the best round of the fight for Porter.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 9-10 Porter (Crawford 76-76 Porter)

Round 7

Porter closes the gap and lands a sharp right hand. He’s mixing it up beautifully and giving Crawford different looks. Crawford catches Porter with a counter left as he rushes in but Porter walks right through it. Porter looking very fit, still bouncing on the balls of his feet, brimming with confidence. Very, very close round in what’s been a difficult fight to score.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 10-9 Porter (Crawford 67-66 Porter)

Round 6

Lots of infighting as the dogfight between these two continues. Crawford lands a couple of sharp hooks as he times Porter for the big shot. Left hand by Crawford down the middle. Another accidental headbutt as a result of the orthodox-southpaw matchup and now Crawford is cut. A close round where Crawford landed the more effective shots but Porter was busier. Crawford nicks it on our card.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 10-9 Porter (Crawford 57-57 Porter)

Round 5

Porter is the busier fighter, throwing a lot more punches even if most of them aren’t landing. Crawford is unable to do much against the overwhelming volume, even though few of them are landing. Porter, fighting the perfect fight so far, takes the round on this card.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 9-10 Porter (Crawford 47-48 Porter)

Round 4

The fascinating matchup we were promised is coming to pass. Porter forcing the issue and making Crawford fight at his pace but Crawford, alternating stances but fighting mostly as a southpaw, popping Porter with counters every time he bullrushes in. Great round for Bud, clearest of the fight so far.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 10-9 Porter (Crawford 38-38 Porter)

Round 3

A more cautious round though it’s playing to the pace of Crawford, who ominously appears to be finding his rhythm. Some good body work from Porter but Crawford is getting his licks in. Porter comes inside and lands a flush uppercut. What a shot! But it’s not without a cost: Porter appears cut over his right eye and it appears to have been from a clash of heads. Porter goes down but the referee correctly rules it a slip. Bell rings and that’s a Porter round.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 9-10 Porter (Crawford 28-29 Porter)

Round 2

Crawford and Porter measuring one another in the middle of the ring. Porter lands a flush counter right. Crawford follows with a counter left followed by a left to the body. Another good 1-2 combo by Crawford. Big exchange that Porter gets the better of. Two-way action breaking out as the crowd is whipped into a frenzy. A close round by Crawford takes it.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 10-9 Porter (Crawford 19-19 Porter)

Round 1

Porter springs from his corner and throws a combination at Crawford. The lefty Crawford fighting off the back foot early as usual, absorbing Porter’s fire. Crawford lands a sharp left that snaps Porter’s head back. Bell rings and first round goes to Porter, who threw more and landed more.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Crawford 9-10 Porter (Crawford 9-10 Porter)

The fighters are making their ringwalks. First it’s Porter, the two-time welterweight champion, accompanied by the rapper Rapsody as he makes the long walk to the squared circle. And then comes Crawford, ambling to the ring in white robe and black trim to LL Cool J’s I’m Bad.

Hello and welcome to tonight’s WBO welterweight title fight between Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter. Crawford, the longtime champion at 147lbs who’s been on the shelf since a TKO win over Britain’s Kell Brook last year, is out to bolster his claim as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter opposite Porter, who’s fresh off a dominant win over Sebastian Formella in August.

Fascinating scrap, this. Crawford is a heavy favorite on merit – most oddsmakers list him as a 5/1 favorite – but no one ever looks good against the crafty, athletic Porter, a two-time beltholder at boxing’s glamour division. The consensus is tonight’s showdown will either be a virtuoso performance for Crawford against perhaps the highest quality opponent of his career or an all-out war between two of the best welterweights of their generation.