Terence Crawford beats Jose Benavidez Jr. to retain WBO welterweight title

OMAHA, Neb. – As World Welterweight Title Holder, Terence Crawford continued to speak, Josef Benavidez Jr., the disdain and threats of knockout, had a constant response: wait for the fight and shut him up.

That's exactly what Crawford did – and in style – outclassing Benavidez before scoring a violent knockout in the 12th round to retain his 147-pound title for the first time in front of a raging crowd of 13,323 on Saturday at the Crawford Hometown CHI Health.

The crowd was the biggest crowd Crawford had shot so far and he gave a show to fans of his hometown.

After dominating virtually all the fight against a Benavidez who just did not want or could not give a lot of punches, Crawford knocked out Benavidez with a thunderous uppercut right with about 45 seconds left in the fight, then l? beat until the referee Celestino Ruiz replaced him. to signal in combat at 2 minutes 42 seconds while the crowd was unleashed.

"I did what I had said I was going to do – it's all that needs to be said," said Crawford, who has kept his promise from before. -combat not to shake Benavidez's hand after the fight. "[The knockout] was coming. It was just a matter of time. He slowed down a lot. He was tired and once he slowed down, I saw that I could catch him with [the uppercut]. It's so good to silence someone who has been talking for so long. I am comfortable. "

The knockouts were crowned by an outstanding performance by Crawford, considered one of the best boxing fighters in the world.

"I told Benavidez that he was going to get kicked in. And that's what Bud did," said Brian McIntyre, Crawford's coach and director.

Anger between Crawford, who for the first time defended the welterweight title he won on 9 June with a one-sided defeat in the ninth round of Jeff Horn, and Benavidez was at the bottom of the battle. Benavidez called Crawford incessantly, including during a confrontation in February in Corpus Christi, Texas, until he finally got the fight, and they traded hard words all the way through. of the promotion. He overflowed at the weigh-in on Friday, when Benavidez pushed off Crawford, who took a run at Benavidez but missed it.

However, when the time came for the real fight, he drew a lot of free and clean shots and finished Benavidez impressively.

"Most of the fighters in this position today, having clearly won the fight, would retire in the 12th round without losing any opportunity and would not run out of the clock, not him," said the Top Rank sponsor. , Bob Arum. "He's an artist." He wanted to close the show, and that's what he did, which makes him special – look what we have with other fighters today. This is not the state of mind that most of them have, but Terence is a showman, he wants to make a statement.

"We know that he is a brilliant fighter, but the fact of pleasing the crowd so much makes him special.The next year, when he will enter the TV arena at the card, people will remember it and will want to see it fight because it's so entertaining. "

Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs), twice a year fighter, was also a junior welterweight and lightweight champion. He started the fight by working his blow and going to the body with it before moving to the south leg position. as he often does, about halfway up the sleeve, and he stayed that way for the rest of the fight. Benavidez, meanwhile, has barely punched. It seemed like he wanted to have his right hand, but he could never find a clean house for that.

Crawford landed on the body in the second lap and forced Benavidez to take a step back and shake his head. He did it several times in combat. Crawford accelerated the pace in the third round, hitting head-to-body combinations several times and forcing Benavidez to step back.

The shots were essential, said Crawford, who earned $ 3.625 million out of Benavidez's $ 500,000.

"It takes you something every time," he says. "That's what slowed him down." Every time he was shaking his head, I knew it was going to make its effects felt later. "

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Terence Crawford looks back on his TKO in the 12th round against Jose Benavidez and his future.

Benavidez had a powerful fourth round, his best fight, and made several free kicks. Crawford was caught in the left hand and pulled out his tongue. But Benavidez (27-1, 18 KO), 26, of Phoenix, fought only by gushing. In the fifth round, for example, he spent a long time in the middle of the ring, while Crawford had followed him and landed a sharp right hand in the head before forcing him to return at the end of the round.

After Crawford stabbed Benavidez at the beginning of the ninth round, Benavidez, seemingly shot down, returned to the rope and signaled Crawford to attack him. He made and landed a few more punches. He continued to touch the head and body, while Benavidez rarely had more shots at a time.

As Benavidez faded in the final, Crawford labeled him with the unbearable appetite that knocked him down. He managed surprisingly to get back on his feet and continued, but Crawford went straight to the point and wounded him with a pair of straight hands. Ruiz stopped him as Benavidez fell back onto the canvas.

Crawford led 110-99, 108-101, and 107-102 before the 12th round.

"I gave a hell fight to the best fighter in the world He had me," Benavidez said. "It's boxing, it happens, he's an excellent fighter, but so am I. We gave our fans a great show, he beat me." I have nothing bad to say.

"I do not want to apologize, but my [right] leg [where he was shot in 2016] started to hurt me after the seventh round. The doctors said that I would never walk again, but I was content to fight hell with the best fighter in the world. Now I am going to train even harder and come back stronger. "

According to CompuBox, Crawford landed 186 out of 579 shots (32%), while Benavidez landed only 92 out of 501 (18%). Benavidez scored double-digit strikes in just three rounds.

"Many people say," Oh, I'm small, I do not hit hard. "It's like he's saying all week, but once you're there and you feel my power, he does not feel like going inside." "said Crawford. "When you look at it, Jeff Horn was supposed to be the biggest guy, [Julius] Indongo was supposed to be the biggest guy. When we enter the ring, it's different. I am strong for the division. "

Errol Spence Jr., Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman, title holders, as well as former titlist Danny Garcia. But they are all fighting for the first boxing champions of Al Haymon, lined up on Showtime and Fox, while Crawford and Top Rank are exclusive to ESPN.

Doing these fights will prove complicated if they happen, but Crawford went on to say that he wants those fights, and Arum, referring all the others except Spence, said he is ready to Sit down with Haymon and lead this fight as quickly as possible.