By: Hans Themistode
With arguably the biggest test of his career taking place in just a few short weeks, Terence Crawford is in the midst of putting himself through a grueling training camp. The WBO 147 pound titlist is set to put his championship on the line against former two-time belt holder Shawn Porter on November 20th, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Despite being a considerable odds on favorite, Crawford refuses to look past Porter. But while the Omaha Nebraska native is focused on shutting down Porter’s attempts at nabbing his world title, the normally stoic Crawford broke into a full-blown laugh when he heard Porter’s recent comments.
Not only is the multiple-time welterweight champion confident that he’ll hand Crawford the first loss of his career, he believes he’ll do so before the sound of the final bell. With Porter continuing to claim that he’ll stop Crawford in front of a jam-packed Las Vegas, crowd, the pound-for-pound star stops and thinks for a moment during an interview with Brian Custer. As Crawford’s mind races, he realizes that he can’t recall the last time Porter laid his opponent out.
“I can’t remember the last time Shawn Porter got a stoppage,” said Crawford on The Last Stand Podcast. “I’m not trying to be funny and I’m not taking him lightly but that’s a long shot for him stopping me.”
In order to find the last Shawn Porter stoppage victory, Crawford will have to pop in the tape from a 2017 encounter against long-faded former champion, Andre Berto. Outside of that, Porter’s five recent trips to the ring resulted in a full day at the office.
While Crawford appears unafraid of the firepower his upcoming opponent brings to the table, he does have a deep reverence for his overall skillset. Even with Crawford claiming world title wins in three different weight classes, as well as holding a universal spot on every credible pound-for-pound list in the world, the newly turned 33 year is fully aware that he’s in for an incredible battle.
“Shawn Porter is one of the best fighters in the world. I’m certainly not taking him lightly.”