LAS VEGAS — Terence Crawford feels like he has a lot to prove Saturday night when he defends his WBO welterweight championship against former titleholder Shawn Porter. It’s the biggest fight and toughest opponent of his career, yet his march through his first 37 fights — all wins, 28 by knockout — was so impressive, Crawford is a -800 favorite (per BetMGM) to beat Porter.
He is not looking past Porter, yet he thinks the style in which he wins will make his case for being boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter. Not Canelo Alvarez.
“Right now, Canelo is No. 1, being that he’s captured all the titles in the division in the fashion that he’s done it in,” Crawford told reporters. “But like I said, depending on which fashion I win this weekend is gonna tell it all.”
While Crawford has knocked out eight straight opponents, none of them have the resume of Porter (31-3-1. with 17 knockouts). The two-time former champ has never been stopped, with his three losses coming via decision to champs Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr.
Though Porter may have too many holes in his game to totally overcome Crawford’s counterpunching and make his +450 odds to win the fight viable, he should be able to go the distance. The odds on the fight going the full 12 rounds are only -190 and if one wanted to hedge a little bit, the odds of the fight going 11 rounds or more are -225.
Porter will get inside and try to make the fight a brawl, thereby eliminating Crawford’s 4.5-inch reach advantage. Both men can go back and forth between southpaw and orthodox, and both men might need a few rounds to get over some ring rust: Crawford hasn’t fought in 12 months and Porter 15.
