Two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter knows exactly what it is like in the ring with Terence Crawford.
Porter fought ‘Bud’ in the 36th and final contest of his professional career back in 2021, suffering a tenth round stoppage victory to the then WBO world welterweight champion. ‘Showtime’ announced his retirement from boxing shortly after, having captured world honours at 147lbs on two separate occasions.
After dispatching of Porter, Crawford has gone on to become the undisputed welterweight champion with a career defining victory over Errol Spence Jr, and more recently prevailed in a competitive showdown against Israil Madrimov to claim the WBA super welterweight title last August.
The 37-year-old is now preparing for undoubtedly the toughest test of his career when he faces Mexican superstar and unified WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez in September.
In an interview with Aliyah Orozco, Porter gave plaudits to the punching power of his former rival turned friend ‘Bud’ Crawford. claiming the 37-year-old has the ability to ‘end’ fights at any point.
“With Crawford we’ve learned, don’t blink. While it seems boring for quite a few rounds then all of a sudden it just ends.”
In a seperate interview with KO Artist Sports, Porter recalled the ‘whip’ effect of Crawford’s shots.
“Even if he connects and you’re not out, he’s going to keep coming and he’s going to hit you. I kind of describe Terence’s power as more of a whip because he throws his power with speed. It coins the phrase, ‘Speed makes power.’
“So his power is kind of disguised because of his speed, which I think makes it more of a whip. It’s not going to take a long time to get there, it’s going to get there fast and it’s going to pop you.”
Crawford will be eagerly awaiting the result of Canelo’s upcoming bout against IBF super middleweight champion William Scull, which takes place on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Should the Mexican icon be victorious in May, it will mean that ‘Bud’ will have the opportunity to become a three-weight undisputed champion and the first male fighter in boxing history to achieve this feat within the ‘four belt era’.
