CRAWFORD BECOMES THE ONLY UNDISPUTED WORLD CHAMPION AND WILL POSSIBLY FIGHT THE WINNER OF PACQUIAO-HORN REMATCH
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 21 Aug 2017
Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs) now is the only undisputed world champion in professional boxing as he stopped Julius Indongo (22-1, 11 KOs) in the third round at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. With a sizable home crowd cheering wildly, he claimed all four major titles at light welterweight - WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO - including The Ring and lineal titles. Crawford floored Indongo to the canvas with a vicious punch to the body in the last minute of the second round. Midway in the third round, Crawford knock Indongo out languishing in pain.
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?It means everything,? Crawford said. ?When you start boxing when you?re seven years old, that?s your dream to become world champion ? and after that you want to become something bigger than world champion. You just don?t stop there. You go to the highest level possible.?
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Crawford?s mission at light welterweight is consumated. A move to welterweight is expected to follow. Promoter Bob Arum is planning for Crawford to go with him to Australia for the November rematch between Jeff Horn and Manny Pacquiao. Arum wants Crawford to fight the winner. ?I?m all for it,? Crawford said.
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Crawford started boxing at the age of seven. He took part in 70 official amateur bouts, losing only 12 times. As an amateur, he faced and defeated future world champions Mikey Garcia and Danny Garc?a. After winning three tournaments before the 2008 Olympics, Crawford became the highest-ranked amateur lightweight in the US. However, his losses to boxers like Yemeni American Sadam Ali prevented his Olympic participation.
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Before Crawford, Russian-Australian Kostya Tszyu was the undisputed light welterweight champion and held the lineal titles of that division from 2001 to 2003. In 1995, Tszyu won the IBF title by defeating Jake Rodr?guez. Five successful defences made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat.
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Tszyu was undefeated in the next eight years, winning the vacant WBC title in 1999 and the WBA (Super) title in 2001. Tszyu knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, also the vacant Ring and lineal titles, becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. But there was no WBO title yet that time. In 2005, in his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton.
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The Moloney twins, Andrew and Jason, improved their records to 14-0 with their respective victories at the Function Centre in Melbourne Park, Australia. Jason Moloney (14-0, 11 KOs) was in complete control of the fight with Lolito Sonsona (21-2-4, 9 KOs). Two judges scored it a 100-90 shutout and the third judge had it at 99-91.
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For Andrew Moloney (14-0, 9 KOs) reducing to superbantamweight took its toll as he was floored in the third round by Raymond Tabugon with a left hook. Andrew got back in the fourth round with punches that rocked Tabugon forcing referee stop the fight.
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The Brisbane City Council has as if now withdrawn its financial support for the rematch between Australian WBO welterweight world champion Jeff Horn and senator Manny Pacquiao. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk told News Corp Australia that he wants confirmation from promoters that Pacquiao has signed the contract for the fight before he would logistically help the event.
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"The Battle of Brisbane only happened with the strong financial support of Brisbane City Council," Mayor Quirk said. "I need to know we definitely have a fighter coming from the Philippines to fight Brisbane's world champion Jeff Horn and I need to know that fighter is Manny Pacquiao. I'm not going to shadow box the fight promoters - I want some straight answers to the question of is Manny in the boxing ring in Brisbane in November or is he in retirement."
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Former welterweight champion and Mayweather foe Andre Berto believes if UFC superstar Conor McGregor pull a surprise upset over Floyd Mayweather "the sport of boxing would suffer a big blow." He is faithful to boxing, but he is also close to McGregor. Berto's brother Edson and sister Revelina are both MMA fighters and his father Dieuseul appeared in UFC 10.
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"If this were to be an upset, it would definitely be a big blow to the boxing game, for sure,? Berto told The MMA Hour. ?It?s gonna be a big blow to Floyd?s legacy, as well. Just being undefeated and able to let some guy upset you and he?s an MMA fighter and he probably talks a little more shit than you talk. It?s gonna be tough for him to swallow if that happens.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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