Terence Crawford v Shawn Porter: Welterweights battle for supremacy in Las Vegas

Unbeaten Terence Crawford will defends his WBO super welterweight title in a fascinating showdown with the experienced Shawn Porter from the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

Crawford has now defended the belt on four occasions following an emphatic TKO victory over Kell Brook in November 2020 and Porter is in action for the first time since a unanimous decision win over Sebastian Formella in August last year.

We preview the action ahead of a potential classic and offer the latest boxing betting odds.

Crawford out to prove he is the real deal

‘Bud’ Crawford as he is affectionally known, is undoubtedly one of the standout talents in world boxing today having already held multiple world championships in three different weight classes. He’s one of just six male boxers in history to hold all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) simultaneously and the first since 2005 when he captured the final lightweight belt in 2017.

Yet when the names of boxing’s elites are thrown around; Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury et al, Crawford’s name is often bewilderingly absent. It’s not as though he hasn’t faced and beaten some of the best around either, with wins over John Molina Jr, Joseph Benavidez Jr and Kell Brook to name just a few, yet he always seems to be the next win away from being rightly recognised as one of the best in the world.

His style is equally endearing as his record. In 37 professional wins, 28 of them ended by knockout, including each of his last six. Crawford boxes from a southpaw stance and uses his excellent movement to control the centre of the ring, but still looks to land power punches and finish his opponent. In truth, he can win fights from behind his jab at range or is equally comfortable working from the inside and utilising his dirty boxing credentials too.

Porter a tough test

If it comes to the dirty boxing however, few are better than Shawn Porter. He’s just as experienced as Crawford, with three defeats alongside his 31 professional wins and whilst his propensity to grapple and hold during fights has made him a target of criticism from fans, it has been extremely successful. He’s shared the ring with the likes of Errol Spence Jr, Keith Thurman and Pauli Malignaggi, so he won’t be faced by the calibre of opposition standing in front of him.

His strategy will be to make this one a rough fight and use his physicality in there whenever possible. He could well drag Crawford into some very deep waters in this one and give his gas tank a proper test if ‘Bud’ is unable to stop him from grabbing hold and wearing him down as the rounds progress.

Crawford stands as the current favourite at 1/6 to win outright, with Parker a 4/1 outsider. With a 75% career KO rate, Crawford to win via KO/TKO or DQ at 8/5 looks a strong play, with Crawford also 5/6 to win via decision. Porter meanwhile is 10/1 to land a KO/TKO or DQ victory and hasn’t done so in any of his last five fights.