LAS VEGAS —
Roughly 28 hours before their career- and sport-defining clash,
terence bud crawford "Bud" Crawford and Errol "The Big Fish" Spence Jr. walked into an empty T-Mobile Arena from opposite sides, through lit tunnels, toward the clearest of clarity with their futures. Crawford’s entourage was so large it resembled a football team and hid him somewhere in the middle of a few dozen bodies. Spence’s group was smaller and leaner, but no less ready or intense.
"I’m totally focused on staying at 135 pounds because it’s where I feel strongest and most comfortable," Cruz said. "I just want to give everyone watching a great show. I’ve made a connection with the fans because I showed that I’m not afraid to fight the best. I have no fear, just resolve."
Round 5: Cruz connects to the body, then fires one high. Right hand from Cabrera scores. Cruz having success now when Cabrera comes forward. Cruz works the body. Sharp counter left by Cabrera. Cruz wins a jab exchange. Big right by Cruz. He’s making this one ugly and
Cabrera is not having a good time this round. Cruz warned about a headbutt. He’s head-hunting as the bell rings.
"I’ve been feeling the buzz for this fight. Anywhere I go they’ve been asking me about this fight. I knew I had to make it happen. This is what everyone wanted. We have to prove who the man is in the welterweight division and in boxing. The winner of this fight is the best fighter in boxing – period.
Donaire was trying to become the tenth 40-year-old-plus fighter in boxing history to win a world championship, the oldest active world champion in boxing, and the oldest champion ever at 118 pounds in an attempt to break his own record set in 2021.
Crawford, 35, has won titles in super lightweight and lightweight in addition to welterweight, capturing the latter after moving up in 2018. The Omaha, Nebraska, fighter became the first male boxer to become the undisputed champion in two divisions.
The main card is set to get underway at 8 p.m. EDT / 1 a.m. BST with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 11 p.m. EDT / 4 a.m. BST. These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
Many of the rounds were closely contested, but the American’s experience told in the later frames, securing him scorecards of 116-112, 115-113, 115-113. With the victory, the 36-year-old stayed unbeaten at 41-0 (31 knockouts), while handing Madrimov his first professional loss (10-1-1, 7 KOs).
But what was expected to be a highly competitive, 50-50 matchup, turned into one of the finest performances fans had witnessed in recent years. Crawford emphatically stamped his place in the history books with a ninth-round TKO over Spence to become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era.
He was coming off an impressive performance against Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023. In that fight, Crawford dropped Spence three times to eventually score a ninth-round TKO win at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to unify all four major welterweight world titles.
Terence Crawford is back in the ring to face Israil Madrimov tonight, as the pound-for-pound great looks to add a world title in a fourth different weight division to his long list of remarkable achievements.
"I’ve been fighting the best for a long time. When you see all the legends of the sport, they fought each other and made historic fights. That’s what I want to do. Terence is one of the best fighters in the world and I’m one of the best fighters in the world, so we had to make this happen.
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"It’s definitely business as usual, but we’ve still amped up the training because of the opponent I’m facing. Terence can really fight and I believe that we’re gonna put on a great show and a great performance.
Round 7: This is absolutely an even fight at the halfway mark and Miller has the momentum in a stranglehold. We’re right back to phone booth fighting and Miller isn’t giving this man an inch. Ruiz eats a clubbing right hand. Ruiz keeps trying to clinch but Miller isn’t letting him. Miller pressures Ruiz into the corner and goes to work. Miller unleashes a long flurry to the head and body, and Ruiz pretty much eats it all. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Miller. (67-66 Ruiz.)
Spence went down twice, once from a counter right hand about a minute into the round and again from a right hook in the final seconds. Crawford is just schooling Spence. I picked Crawford to win the fight, but I didn’t see this coming.
Terence Crawford is considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. However, after becoming the undisputed welterweight champion in 2023, "Bud" hasn’t entered the ring since. He returns to action attempting to win gold in another division when he faces WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3.
