Shawn Porter faced a tough challenge in the ring against Terence Crawford, enduring a technical knockout (TKO) in the 10th round of their highly anticipated welterweight fight. The match drew a crowd of 11,568 at Mandalay Bay on Saturday.
In a dramatic sequence, Crawford connected with a left uppercut, followed by a right hook to Porter’s forehead, and sealed the deal with a left hook to the face, sending his 34-year-old opponent to the mat. Shawn’s father and trainer, Kenny Porter, threw in the towel leading to referee Celestino Ruiz stopping the fight.
At the time of the stoppage, Crawford was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards. Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld scored the fight 86-85 for Crawford, while Max De Luca had it 87-84 against him. Porter started strong, but Crawford’s switch to a southpaw stance in the sixth round allowed him to take control of the match.
The bout marked Porter’s final appearance in the ring. In a surprising post-fight announcement, he declared, “I’m ready to retire. I had planned to retire tonight, regardless of the outcome.”
With this victory, Crawford retained his welterweight title.
