Follow all the action as Terence Crawford defends his WBO welterweight world title against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Crawford, widely considered one of boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters, enters the bout as a strong favourite, despite taking on arguably the toughest test of his career. The 34-year-old, who unified all four belts in the 140lbs division, has struggled to lure top calibre opponents into the ring since moving up to welterweight, but victory tonight can cement his status in one of boxing’s most glamorous divisions.
Victory over Porter though is by no means a guarantee. A two-time former world champion, the American lost his WBC belt in a contentious split decision against the consensus No 1 in the division, Errol Spence Jr, in 2019, and boasts victories over the likes of Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. He brings a rough style but that will be of little to surprise to Crawford, with the pair having known each other since they were amateurs. As a result, there has been little trash talk, but the skill on display could yet deliver a modern-day classic.
Follow live round-by-round updates, all the build-up and undercards results from a great night of boxing in Las Vegas:
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Crawford vs Porter
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01:06 , Tom Kershaw
Next up, former super bantamweight world champion Isaac Dogboe faces Christopher Diaz. Dogboe, who was born in Ghana but grew up in south London, spoke to The Independent last year:
Isaac Dogboe: ‘We can talk about racism, but it doesn’t mean it will end’
Lopez-Ochoa ruled no contest after head clash
00:58 , Tom Kershaw
Adam Lopez, who suffered a majority decision defeat against Isaac Dogboe earlier this year, was hoping to get his career back on track against Adan Ochoa in the first main undercard bout of the evening. However, an unfortunate accidental clash of heads caused the bout to be ruled a no contest.
Crawford takes next step on road to greatness
00:45 , Tom Kershaw
Here is Steve Bunce’s preview of tonight’s big fight in Las Vegas. From being shot in 2008 to becoming an undisputed champion nine years later, Terence Crawford has taken the long road to boxing greatness:
Terence Crawford takes next step on his long road to greatness
Crawford defends WBO title against Porter
00:34 , Tom Kershaw
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage as Terence Crawford defends his WBO welterweight world title against Shawn Porter in Las Vegas.
Crawford, who unified the 140lbs division before stepping up to welterweight, is widely considered one of boxing’s best fighters, but is facing arguably his toughest test against Porter.
Nevertheless, the champion will enter the ring at the Mandalay Bay Casino as a strong favourite against an opponent he’s known since he was a teenager, owing to their time in the US amateur setup.
“I respect everything that Shawn does,” Crawford said earlier this week. “Shawn is athletic, he can box, he can bang, he can move around in the ring, he can cut corners and take angles.
“I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t respect anything that he does. I’m just going to say that I do a lot of things better than Shawn. I’m going to show him come Saturday.”