AJtheOne
Nets/Giants/Yankees
This is going to be a good close fight no doubt. Looking forward to it
11/20 ESPN+ PPV: Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter (WBO Welterweight Title)
- Thread starter patscorpio
- Start date
Thurman and Ugas begged to fight Crawford..fought Kell Brook instead.He never ducked, wasn't anyone begging to fight him who he could duck (Ortiz request was)
The surprise is that a PBC guy finally crossed the street to make it happen and the WBO low key forced that cause Porter originally had other plans
The FIRST time someone he couldn't get a fight with previously really stepped to the plate TBC took the fight with no hesitation
Crawford has met his match?
Bud gotta dispose of Porter quick or make Porter look silly the entire fight because going the distance and looking “mortal” even if he wins will be seen as a loss and make Porter look good
desjardins
Veteran
After seeing Davis fighting Benavidaz last night least we know Bud been getting good work with a guy who is built like a bigger Porter 
Creflo ½ Dollar
Superstar
I’m counting on Bud to expose the myth of the PBC 147lb monopoly by completely outclassing Porter.
If Bud struggles then imma assume that all them guys around the same level. Triangle theories dnt work but Porter is the elite welter gatekeeper.
If Bud struggles then imma assume that all them guys around the same level. Triangle theories dnt work but Porter is the elite welter gatekeeper.
Conscious Pilot
Do Better.
ChocolateGiddyUp
Superstar
“They said Kell Brook would be my toughest challenge”
Who tf is They Bud
Who tf is They Bud
Who is betting on Porter?
Crawford-Porter experts' picks: Can aggressive Shawn Porter disrupt dominance of Terence Crawford?
Andres FerrariESPN Editor
Welterweight champion Terence Crawford and former champion Shawn Porter will face off in a megafight main event of Saturday's Top Rank card at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas (ESPN+ PPV, 9 p.m. ET, with prelims at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+).
Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, has been looking for a signature fight, and Porter brings that challenge. Porter has fought the best fighters the division has to offer, defeating Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner and Danny Garcia, among others.
Crawford won his belt by defeating Jeff Horn in 2018 and has made four successful defenses. In his most recent fight, in November 2020, Crawford scored a fourth-round TKO victory over Kell Brook.
Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs), 34, of Akron, Ohio, has seen it all and can box or brawl, depending on the opposition. He will have to be aggressive against Crawford if he wants to pull the upset -- a performance similar to what he did in a close loss to Errol Spence Jr. when he challenged for the WBC and IBF titles in 2019.
During a news conference in October to officially announce the fight, Crawford said Porter has never been in the ring with a fighter like him and that he's ready for his aggressive style.
"Unlike other fighters that you fought, I'm different. I believe you know that I'm different," Crawford said. "The more you push, the more I will push. You hit me hard, and I will hit you even harder if you can last. That's what makes this fight a great fight.
"A dominating win against Porter will boost my status as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world."
Porter acknowledged Crawford is a tough fighter but believes he knows how to accomplish something nobody else has to so far.
"He is a dominant fighter. Everyone he gets in the ring with, he dominates," Porter said. "I want to be the one fighter that he can't dominate. Everything that is required to beat Terence, I got it. It's time to take on this challenge.
ESPN asked former opponents of Crawford and Porter, plus boxing insiders, for their take on the fight and their predictions.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Terence Crawford, left, faces his most challenging opponent yet on Saturday in Shawn Porter. Mikey Williams/Top Rank/Getty Images
Luis Arias, middleweight contender
Arias defeated Porter twice as an amateur
How Crawford wins: He's gonna have to show a strong chin. He has to be able to take Porter's best shots and withstand the pressure. And to do that, he has to be in good condition. Porter is going to be throwing a lot of punches. Can Crawford take them?
On offense, Crawford needs to counter Porter, fight from a distance and use Porter's aggressiveness against him. Keep the fight on the outside to control Porter. Porter's going to come at him and try to maul him. If Crawford is able to control him while taking Porter's best shots and can keep him at bay, he will be able to beat him.
Use the jab, counter him. Crawford has to be able to land his hard shots when he has the opportunity. Porter is not hard to hit, but it's very hard to stop him.
How Porter wins: Porter has to land the hard shots and crack him. He needs to find a way to hurt Crawford early. Crawford's plan is going to be staying on his back foot and box him. So Porter is going to have to show him he's in great condition and find a way to gain his respect by hurting him early. If he doesn't gain his respect, he's gonna be in for a long night.
X-factor: Porter's effectiveness. Porter is going to be right in front of Crawford's face. He's willing to take shots to be able to land his punches, but he needs those punches that he lands to be effective. This is an evenly matched fight. It's the typical boxer vs. the aggressive puncher. Porter doesn't have great KO power, but he has volume, he hits you a lot and he physically wears you down, and that makes for a hard fight for the opponent.
Prediction: My only doubt here is Crawford's chin. Crawford is very strong, but we have seen that Porter has a strong chin; he always has. He was fighting at 165 pounds [as an amateur], he fought Daniel Jacobs in the U.S. Nationals, he fought me and Oleksandr Usyk at middleweight. I'm not too worried about his chin, but I do want to see how Crawford takes Porter's punches. If Crawford can withstand those punches and he can take it and dish it, then he should be able to win. But again, if Porter goes in there and hurts him early and stays on him, Porter is going
Shakur Stevenson, junior lightweight champion, former teammate of Crawford
How Crawford wins: He has to outbox Porter, be smarter than him. Make sure he lands that big shot. Porter likes to leap in to throw punches, and he leaves himself open, especially late in the fight. We saw Porter get dropped by AB [Adrien Broner] in the 12th round. We saw him get dropped by Errol Spence Jr. in the 11th round, so I feel like if Crawford catches him late and he hurts him, Crawford is a great finisher. He will finish him out.
How Porter wins: Don't fight. Don't get in the ring. The only way for Porter to win the fight is by not getting in the ring. There's no way he can beat Crawford. Porter's style can give Crawford some problems in general, but to beat Crawford you have to be a special kind of fighter. I don't think Porter is as special as he says he is.
X-factor: Preparation. I know Bud always prepares well. He is always gonna be ready for this kind of fight. He's focused. He has a big task in front of him, and we are gonna see the best of him. I haven't been with him in the gym, but I know he has put in the work.
Prediction: Crawford is going to win by stoppage, probably in the 11th round.
Yordenis Ugas, welterweight champion
How Porter wins: His strength is when he gets inside, when he gets close and throws his punches at a short distance. When he attacks on the inside, he's more dangerous. This is where he will have the most advantage to beat Crawford. Attack, close the spaces, fight dirty, pressure him, same as he did against Spence. When I fought Porter, he boxed me; he kept his distance. But against Crawford, Porter is going to have to fight inside and attack more. Look for the fight at close range, again, like he did against Spence.
X-factor: When I faced Crawford as an amateur, I wasn't thinking about becoming a professional or anything like that, but when I saw him, I always thought that he was going to be a world champion. He was always very good; he had all the tools. He is a very special boxer.
Prediction: I see an even fight, 50-50 fight. I can't really pick a winner, they are both very good fighters. I really don't know who's going to win. I would like to face the winner, so whoever wins, I want that fight.
Andres FerrariESPN Editor
Welterweight champion Terence Crawford and former champion Shawn Porter will face off in a megafight main event of Saturday's Top Rank card at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas (ESPN+ PPV, 9 p.m. ET, with prelims at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+).
Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, has been looking for a signature fight, and Porter brings that challenge. Porter has fought the best fighters the division has to offer, defeating Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner and Danny Garcia, among others.
Crawford won his belt by defeating Jeff Horn in 2018 and has made four successful defenses. In his most recent fight, in November 2020, Crawford scored a fourth-round TKO victory over Kell Brook.
Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs), 34, of Akron, Ohio, has seen it all and can box or brawl, depending on the opposition. He will have to be aggressive against Crawford if he wants to pull the upset -- a performance similar to what he did in a close loss to Errol Spence Jr. when he challenged for the WBC and IBF titles in 2019.
During a news conference in October to officially announce the fight, Crawford said Porter has never been in the ring with a fighter like him and that he's ready for his aggressive style.
"Unlike other fighters that you fought, I'm different. I believe you know that I'm different," Crawford said. "The more you push, the more I will push. You hit me hard, and I will hit you even harder if you can last. That's what makes this fight a great fight.
"A dominating win against Porter will boost my status as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world."
Porter acknowledged Crawford is a tough fighter but believes he knows how to accomplish something nobody else has to so far.
"He is a dominant fighter. Everyone he gets in the ring with, he dominates," Porter said. "I want to be the one fighter that he can't dominate. Everything that is required to beat Terence, I got it. It's time to take on this challenge.
ESPN asked former opponents of Crawford and Porter, plus boxing insiders, for their take on the fight and their predictions.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Terence Crawford, left, faces his most challenging opponent yet on Saturday in Shawn Porter. Mikey Williams/Top Rank/Getty Images
Luis Arias, middleweight contender
Arias defeated Porter twice as an amateur
How Crawford wins: He's gonna have to show a strong chin. He has to be able to take Porter's best shots and withstand the pressure. And to do that, he has to be in good condition. Porter is going to be throwing a lot of punches. Can Crawford take them?
On offense, Crawford needs to counter Porter, fight from a distance and use Porter's aggressiveness against him. Keep the fight on the outside to control Porter. Porter's going to come at him and try to maul him. If Crawford is able to control him while taking Porter's best shots and can keep him at bay, he will be able to beat him.
Use the jab, counter him. Crawford has to be able to land his hard shots when he has the opportunity. Porter is not hard to hit, but it's very hard to stop him.
How Porter wins: Porter has to land the hard shots and crack him. He needs to find a way to hurt Crawford early. Crawford's plan is going to be staying on his back foot and box him. So Porter is going to have to show him he's in great condition and find a way to gain his respect by hurting him early. If he doesn't gain his respect, he's gonna be in for a long night.
X-factor: Porter's effectiveness. Porter is going to be right in front of Crawford's face. He's willing to take shots to be able to land his punches, but he needs those punches that he lands to be effective. This is an evenly matched fight. It's the typical boxer vs. the aggressive puncher. Porter doesn't have great KO power, but he has volume, he hits you a lot and he physically wears you down, and that makes for a hard fight for the opponent.
Prediction: My only doubt here is Crawford's chin. Crawford is very strong, but we have seen that Porter has a strong chin; he always has. He was fighting at 165 pounds [as an amateur], he fought Daniel Jacobs in the U.S. Nationals, he fought me and Oleksandr Usyk at middleweight. I'm not too worried about his chin, but I do want to see how Crawford takes Porter's punches. If Crawford can withstand those punches and he can take it and dish it, then he should be able to win. But again, if Porter goes in there and hurts him early and stays on him, Porter is going
Shakur Stevenson, junior lightweight champion, former teammate of Crawford
How Crawford wins: He has to outbox Porter, be smarter than him. Make sure he lands that big shot. Porter likes to leap in to throw punches, and he leaves himself open, especially late in the fight. We saw Porter get dropped by AB [Adrien Broner] in the 12th round. We saw him get dropped by Errol Spence Jr. in the 11th round, so I feel like if Crawford catches him late and he hurts him, Crawford is a great finisher. He will finish him out.
How Porter wins: Don't fight. Don't get in the ring. The only way for Porter to win the fight is by not getting in the ring. There's no way he can beat Crawford. Porter's style can give Crawford some problems in general, but to beat Crawford you have to be a special kind of fighter. I don't think Porter is as special as he says he is.
X-factor: Preparation. I know Bud always prepares well. He is always gonna be ready for this kind of fight. He's focused. He has a big task in front of him, and we are gonna see the best of him. I haven't been with him in the gym, but I know he has put in the work.
Prediction: Crawford is going to win by stoppage, probably in the 11th round.
Yordenis Ugas, welterweight champion
How Porter wins: His strength is when he gets inside, when he gets close and throws his punches at a short distance. When he attacks on the inside, he's more dangerous. This is where he will have the most advantage to beat Crawford. Attack, close the spaces, fight dirty, pressure him, same as he did against Spence. When I fought Porter, he boxed me; he kept his distance. But against Crawford, Porter is going to have to fight inside and attack more. Look for the fight at close range, again, like he did against Spence.
X-factor: When I faced Crawford as an amateur, I wasn't thinking about becoming a professional or anything like that, but when I saw him, I always thought that he was going to be a world champion. He was always very good; he had all the tools. He is a very special boxer.
Prediction: I see an even fight, 50-50 fight. I can't really pick a winner, they are both very good fighters. I really don't know who's going to win. I would like to face the winner, so whoever wins, I want that fight.
