Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford -- Round 9: Crawford landed a good left hand early as Spence was looking for some sort of fight-altering shot. Crawford cracked with more good jabs. Spence tried to flurry with shots but Crawford kept his guard up and defended well. Crawford continued landing jabs that were stunning Spence every time they landed. Spence tried to throw everything he had into a few shots and nearly went down yet again. Crawford blitzed with more clean shots and Spence was badly rattled, forcing the referee to jump in and call a halt to the action! What a showing from Terence Crawford. A virtuoso performance! Official result: Terence Crawford wins via TKO, Round 9
Now, Spence and Crawford are set for their toughest challenge yet, the event that will determine their legacies once and for all. And it's happening because the fighters pushed behind the scenes to finalize the matchup at long last.
As a large portion of the Las Vegas fight crowd celebrated Terence crawford height’s emphatic ninth-round stoppage triumph over Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday, the predictable cries for a rematch had already begun.
Crawford routinely rattled Spence with power shots and counters as the crowd roared at deafening levels throughout the fight. It only got worse as the rounds wore on for Spence. He tried to settle into his gameplan of applying pressure but Crawford was having none of it.
Round 2: Spence opens the round with a combination. Crawford backs up into the ropes as Spence pressures. Good jab by Crawford. Jab-hook combination scores for Crawford. Spence gets aggressive and lands a jab followed by an uppercut. Jab by Spence and Crawford circles out of danger. Spence lands one to the body. Crawford wins a jab exchange. Left hand over the top by Crawford. Spence fires one to the body. Crawford lands a jab followed by a snapping combination and Spence is knocked down for the first time in his career! Whoa!
After entering alongside hip hop superstar Eminem with "Lose Yourself" blaring from the arena speakers with a litany of celebrities in the crowd, the fighter from Omaha did anything but lose himself in the atmosphere of a big fight. Instead, he turned in what may be the best performance of his career.
Round 5: Physician checking on Spence between rounds. Just precautionary it seems, this one will continue. Spence is wearing it on his face. Crawford picks Spence apart with counters to open the fifth. Spence wants to attack the body in close but he gets a warning for a low shot. Crawford goes 1-1-2. He’s loading up the left. Crawford leads with the left and drives a right into Spence’s side. Spence fires back with right hands. Good left from Spence lands hard. Another round for Crawford, but Spence isn’t out of this one.
Big things are expected of Gennady Golovkin lookalike Madrimov (the latest world champion to come out of Uzbekistan looking somewhat like GGG from a facial standpoint and also fighting like him). Madrimov, a hugely accomplished amateur boxer, looked great in stopping Magomed Kurbanov to take the WBA belt at ’54, and now Madrimov will engage in a huge fight in his very first title defence.
Crawford was promised a $1 million bonus if Top Rank didn't make a significant offer on that fight by the end of 2020, per sources. Spence was involved in a serious car crash in October 2019, shortly after beating Porter. And after defeating Danny Garcia in late 2020, Spence's fight against Pacquiao was scrapped when Spence was diagnosed with a detached retina.
Round 11: Let’s just say this one is not a barnburner. Kalajdzic snaps a jab into Morrell’s grill. Morrell lunges forward and snaps Kalajdzic’s head back with a looping right. Big uppercut followed by a straight left for Morrell. He pressures Kalajdzic into the ropes but can’t get any offense going. Snappy one-two from Kalajdzic. Monster right hand from Kalajdzic slams into Morrell’s head! And another! Morrell ate those well but those were good shots. Morrell pressures him into the corner and tries to flurry but Kalajdzic defends well. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kalajdzic. (105-104 Morrell.)
10:03 p.m. ET: Up next is Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) vs. Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs) in a WBA lightweight title eliminator. Waka Flocka Flame just walked out Cabrera while Cruz has entered with a Mariachi band. Cruz is targeting a rematch with Gervonta Davis but will need to turn back Freddie Roach's upstart in Cabrera.
"We practice that," said Crawford. "Normally in camp we do a flick and jab. But we knew that wasn’t going to work with Errol Spence because he’s durable, he’s strong. So, we had to practice a strong firm jab. The jab hit him and stopped him in his tracks."
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
No, the question was whether Crawford, an undefeated Omaha native who has held titles in three weight classes, would defeat Avanesyan, a Russian who trains in England, by decision, stoppage or knockout.
Now, Spence and Crawford are set for their toughest challenge yet, the event that will determine their legacies once and for all. And it's happening because the fighters pushed behind the scenes to finalize the matchup at long last.
As a large portion of the Las Vegas fight crowd celebrated Terence crawford height’s emphatic ninth-round stoppage triumph over Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday, the predictable cries for a rematch had already begun.Crawford routinely rattled Spence with power shots and counters as the crowd roared at deafening levels throughout the fight. It only got worse as the rounds wore on for Spence. He tried to settle into his gameplan of applying pressure but Crawford was having none of it.
Round 2: Spence opens the round with a combination. Crawford backs up into the ropes as Spence pressures. Good jab by Crawford. Jab-hook combination scores for Crawford. Spence gets aggressive and lands a jab followed by an uppercut. Jab by Spence and Crawford circles out of danger. Spence lands one to the body. Crawford wins a jab exchange. Left hand over the top by Crawford. Spence fires one to the body. Crawford lands a jab followed by a snapping combination and Spence is knocked down for the first time in his career! Whoa!
After entering alongside hip hop superstar Eminem with "Lose Yourself" blaring from the arena speakers with a litany of celebrities in the crowd, the fighter from Omaha did anything but lose himself in the atmosphere of a big fight. Instead, he turned in what may be the best performance of his career.
Round 5: Physician checking on Spence between rounds. Just precautionary it seems, this one will continue. Spence is wearing it on his face. Crawford picks Spence apart with counters to open the fifth. Spence wants to attack the body in close but he gets a warning for a low shot. Crawford goes 1-1-2. He’s loading up the left. Crawford leads with the left and drives a right into Spence’s side. Spence fires back with right hands. Good left from Spence lands hard. Another round for Crawford, but Spence isn’t out of this one.
Big things are expected of Gennady Golovkin lookalike Madrimov (the latest world champion to come out of Uzbekistan looking somewhat like GGG from a facial standpoint and also fighting like him). Madrimov, a hugely accomplished amateur boxer, looked great in stopping Magomed Kurbanov to take the WBA belt at ’54, and now Madrimov will engage in a huge fight in his very first title defence.
Crawford was promised a $1 million bonus if Top Rank didn't make a significant offer on that fight by the end of 2020, per sources. Spence was involved in a serious car crash in October 2019, shortly after beating Porter. And after defeating Danny Garcia in late 2020, Spence's fight against Pacquiao was scrapped when Spence was diagnosed with a detached retina.
Round 11: Let’s just say this one is not a barnburner. Kalajdzic snaps a jab into Morrell’s grill. Morrell lunges forward and snaps Kalajdzic’s head back with a looping right. Big uppercut followed by a straight left for Morrell. He pressures Kalajdzic into the ropes but can’t get any offense going. Snappy one-two from Kalajdzic. Monster right hand from Kalajdzic slams into Morrell’s head! And another! Morrell ate those well but those were good shots. Morrell pressures him into the corner and tries to flurry but Kalajdzic defends well. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Kalajdzic. (105-104 Morrell.)
10:03 p.m. ET: Up next is Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) vs. Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs) in a WBA lightweight title eliminator. Waka Flocka Flame just walked out Cabrera while Cruz has entered with a Mariachi band. Cruz is targeting a rematch with Gervonta Davis but will need to turn back Freddie Roach's upstart in Cabrera.
"We practice that," said Crawford. "Normally in camp we do a flick and jab. But we knew that wasn’t going to work with Errol Spence because he’s durable, he’s strong. So, we had to practice a strong firm jab. The jab hit him and stopped him in his tracks."
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
No, the question was whether Crawford, an undefeated Omaha native who has held titles in three weight classes, would defeat Avanesyan, a Russian who trains in England, by decision, stoppage or knockout.