How did Bernard Hopkins unify the middleweight stable in September of 2004? The same way. A body shot. Accept no substitutes?
On January 2, 1996, the college football powerhouse known as the Cornhuskers turned what was billed by many as a competitive matchup into an absolute rout. The 1996 Fiesta Bowl showcased the talents of Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier, who had separate touchdown runs of 35 and 75 yards en route to 199 total in a 62-24 demolition of the Florida Gators. On Saturday evening in Lincoln, Nebraska, now undisputed light welterweight champion Terence Crawford was boxing?s Tommie Frazier, while Julius Indongo appeared as helpless as Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel.
As ?Bud? Crawford (32-0, 23 KO?s) decided from the opening bell to match the southpaw stance of his opponent from Namibia, it may have been apparent to some that the proverbial eye test machine wouldn?t even have time to warm up. Indongo (22-1, 11 KO?s) looked as though he was either too nervous under the lights for his first bout in America or simply out of his league. Saturday was just his third bout outside of his native land which sits on the southwest side of the African continent. He captured the IBF title in Russia last December and the WBA strap in Scotland in April. Stop number three was the Midwest of America and the charm, the third time was not. A perfectly timed, well placed left to the body was the cause.
Not since the days of Kostya Tszyu has the light welterweight division displayed a unified champion and much as was the case with Tszyu, the king of the class is an amiable and likable fellow. Once the bout was underway, many of us may have guessed that it was just a matter of time until Crawford was able to close the show. Whether the official title of the Top Rank Promotions card was either ?Battle for the Belts? or simply a world title unification contest, perhaps it should have been known as ?You Have Something of Mine.?
Two knockdowns over three rounds was proof enough that Crawford belongs somewhere in the pound-for-pound conversation, as if there?s a belt such a distinction. Give it time. After the ?diamond? and ?platinum? versions we?ve seen over the years, a gentleman in a dark suit, sunglasses and an earpiece may not be far off. He?ll have a thick steel suitcase handcuffed to one of his wrists. Until then, we salute the new, undisputed, undefeated light welterweight champion of all of Planet Earth, Terence ?Bud? Crawford.
One more tidbit. It?s perhaps worth noting, simply for the sake of nostalgia that Crawford?s third round knockout of Indongo was to unify the division. How did Bernard Hopkins unify the middleweight stable in September of 2004? The same way. A body shot. Accept no substitutes.
