Shawn Porter Announces Retirement after Loss to Crawford

LAS VEGAS — Shawn Porter announced Saturday that will retire during the post-fight news conference following his stoppage loss to Terence Crawford for the welterweight title at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

“I am ending my career tonight,” Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOS) said after father and trainer Kenny Porter ended it in the 10th-round of a bout televised by ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Porter was knocked down twice in the 10th by Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs).

In losing for the first time by stoppage, Porter was knocked down as many times within one round as he was in his career — first by Adrian Broner and then by Errol Spence Jr.




Crawford wins TKO, Porter’s corner ends it in 10th round

LAS VEGAS – In the end, it was Terence Crawford’s dance floor.

He danced with his family. Danced with his mom. Maybe he danced to the top of the pound-for-pound debate.

Neither the dance nor the debate figures to end anytime soon. Above all, Crawford proved he still belongs on any dance floor and in any debate with a 10th-round stoppage of Shawn Porter Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Porter came as advertised. He knows a lot of dance steps. But he couldn’t sustain them against the patient Crawford. He knows how to wait. Knows how to adjust. And how to finish.

The finish came at 1:21 of the 10th round after two knockdowns of Porter. Porter’s first trip to the canvas started with a left-uppercut from. The return trip started with a combination followed by a left hand to the head. Frustrated, Porter got up and stomped his foot.

 But the gesture was futile. It was over. His father and trainer, Kenny Porter, was already up the steps with towel in hand. The towel was never thrown. The referee and inspector for the Nevada Commission saw it and acted. Kenny Porter would later say his son wasn’t properly prepared, confirming rumors that Shawn Porter had a problematic camp.

For Crawford, however, it was a moment that punctuated what he wanted to accomplish.

The belt, the World Boxing Organization’s version of the welterweight. Title, was still in his dangerous hands. More important, he strengthened his claim on the top spot in the pound-for-pound debate. Canelo Alvarez, are you listening?

One potential Crawford rival, however, was there. Listening and watching. Errol Spence had a ringside seat.

“Now wait, my thing is, who’s No. 1 in the welterweight division now?” Crawford said in a comment clearly intended for Spence.

At the top of the 147-pound division, it’s either Spence or Crawford. There is nobody else. Crawford made sure of it by eliminating Porter from any real say-so in the weight class. Crawford also has the last word, at least for now.

“You know who I want,’’ said Crawford, who collected about $6 million, $2 million more than Porter’s $4 million payday. “I’ve been calling him out all day. Maybe, Spence will get his tail out of his butt and fight me.’’

Maybe.

For now, there are questions about where Crawford is headed. Promotionally, he’s a free agent. His victory of Porter was the last fight on Top Rank contract.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum is confident he can re-sign him. Arum is already talking about a fight between Crawford and junior-welterweight champion Josh Taylor, who is preparing to move up in weight

For now, however, Crawford only wanted to celebrate a night that began with Porter coming out fast, moving forward and attacking throughout the first three minutes. For one round, it worked. He appeared to win the round with his aggressiveness.

He also was sending a message, one that he wore on the back of his black-and-orange robe. Marvelous War, it said. It was a tribute to legendary warrior, Marvin Hagler. It was note of respect to the past. But it was also a look at the immediate future, a sign of what Porter intended to do.

To wit: Crawford better be ready to brawl. He was. Porter unleashed a whirlwind of an arsenal — conventional, unconventional and often a blur of both.

“I figured that I had the reach and he had to take chances to come to him and he did what he normally does,’’ Crawford said.  “He tried to maul and push me back but I used my angles and I pushed him back at times as well.  Shawn Porter is a slick fighter he was doing some things in there and made me think

“I know I caught him with a good uppercut and then when I caught hidm with another left hook clean in his face that he was real hurt and his dad did the right thing by stopping it because I was coming with a vengeance.’’

In the end, there was nothing else to do but dance to Chaka Khan’ “Ain’t Nobody.’’

For one night, nobody but Terence Crawford.

Falcao wins technical decision in dull bout stopped by head butt

It was called an eliminator. In one way, it was. The crowd cheered when the final six rounds of the Esquiva Falcao-Patrice Volny was eliminated because head butt.

The butt came late in the sixth after Volny (16-1, 10 KOs), of Montreal, swung his head into Falcao’s face. The bout, so-called eliminator for a shot at the International Boxing Federation’s middleweight title. Everything before then was boring. Think deadly dull.

After it was determined that Falcao could not continue, the scorecards were turned in and counted. Two scores, 57-56 and 58-56 were for Falcao, an Olympic silver medalist from Brazil The third — a head scratcher — was for Volny, 86-84. Falcao (29-0, 20 KOs) got the victory by technical decision.

The crowd got some relief. At least, it was over.

Kazak middleweight Alimkhanuly wins stoppage

Janibek Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7KOs) ), a heavy-handed middleweight from Kazakhstan, administered a beating, landing lethal left hands that rocked Hassan N’Dam around the ring and off the ropes, virtually everywhere except on to the canvas.

Somehow, N’Dam (38-6, 21 KOs) , a former middleweight champion from Cameroon, stayed on his feet throughout the bout on a card featuring Crawford-Porter. But that wasn’t enough for him to have even a slim chance of winning. Finally, Kenny Bayless stopped it at 2:46 of the eighth round of a bout that could have easily been stopped a round or two earlier.

Unbeaten Raymond Muratalla wins fifth-round TKO

There was no stopping Raymond Muratalla (13-0, 11 KOs), a lightweight from Fontana CA. Elias Araujo (21-4, 8KOs), of Argentina, couldn’t. But Allen Huggins could. And did.

Huggins stepped in and ended the bout at 2:20 of the fifth round in the first ESPN + PPV bout on the Crawford-Porter card. Araujo protested, first in anger. Then, in tears. But the referee had seen enough. Muratalla began to land punch after punch. Blood began to drip from a cut on Araujo’s cheek and from his nose.

Huggins saved him from what would have been a bad beating.  

Dogboe wins majority decision

LAS VEGAS –Isaac Dogboe, a fighter from Ghana once projected to be a star, continued to try to regain some of his abundant promise, scoring a narrow victory — majority decision — over Puerto Rican Christopher Diaz (26-4, 16 KOs) on a card featuring Crawford-Porter.

Dogboe , a former 122-pound champion now at featherweight, won his third straight since his career(26-4, 16 KOs) was sidetracked by successive losses to Emanuel Navarrete.

Head butt leads to no decision

There was blood. But there was no decision.

Adan Ochoa (12-2, 5 KOs), a featherweight from Long Beach CA, was badly cut above his right eye in a head butt with Adam Lopez (15-3, 6 LOs of Glendale CA during the first round of a scheduled eight-rounder. on the Crawford-Porter card.

Late in the second, the blood began to flow into Ochoa’s eye. Just as the bell rang to start the third, the fight was stopped, declared a no decision because it had not gone at least four rounds.

Karlos Balderas wins fourth-round stoppage

Karlos Balderas (11-1, 10 KOs), a junior-lightweight from Santa Maria CA, was bigger and just better, scoring repeatedly with combinations, including a headrocking left-right that finished Julio Cortez (15-4, 11 KOs) of Ecuador at 2:13 of the fourth round in the second bout on the Crawford-Porter card.

First Bell: Tiger Jonson kicks off his career and Crawford-Porter card with TKO win

It was first bell. A debut, too.

Tiger Johnson, a welterweight from Cleveland, kicked off his career and the card featuring Terence Crawford-versus-Shawn Porter with a stoppage of Antonius Grable (3-3-1, 3 KOs) in a Saturday matinee at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Johnson landed successive right hands, leaving Grable of Sarasota, FL dazed and done at 1:54 of the fourth round.

Just to make sure that everybody noticed, celebrated by walking toward retired welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who was already in his ringside seat for he ESPN + pay-per-view telecast..

“I’m here, Tim,” Johnson shouted as he leaned over the ropes. “I’m here.”




LIVE VIDEO: Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter Post-Fight Press Conference




FOLLOW CRAWFORD – PORTER LIVE

Follow all the action as Terence Crawford Defends the WBO Welterweight title against two-time champion Shawn Porter.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

12 ROUNDS–WBO WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–TERENCE CRAWFORD (37-0, 28 KOS) VS SHWAN PORTER (33-3-1, 17 KOS)
ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL
CRAWFORD* 9 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 TKO 88
PORTER 10 9 9 9 10 9 9 9 9 83

Round 1: Porter comes right punching…Uppercut..

Round 2 Crawford turns Southpaw..Right hook from Crawford..Right from Porter..Right hook from Crawford..Good exchange…Right from Crawford..Jab…Body shot at the bell

Round 3 Body shot from Porter..Porter cut over right eye..Porter slips….Cut from Headbutt

Round 4 Hook from Porter..Good left to body from Crawford…Left to Chest…Right from Porter..Left from Crawford..Short left

Round 5 Double right from Porter…Counter right..Porter being aggressive…Right on inside..Left to body from Crawford

Round 6 Right from Crawford…Right from Porter,,,Body shot from Crawford…Left…Another headbutt…Crawford cut on the right eye…Combination from Crawford..

Round 7 Good right from Porter…Jab from Crawford..Uppercut..

Round 8 Good combination from Crawford…4 Punch combination…Jab…2 hard rights from Porter…Body shot from Crawford

Round 9 Double Jab from Crawford…Check Hook..Body shot from Porter…Jab from Crawford…Left to body..and another…Lead Left..

Round 10 COUNTER LEFT AND DOWN GOES PORTER…RIGHT,,,HEAD COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES PORTER…FIGHT STOPPED BY PORTER’S DAD




Crawford-Porter: Could close on the scale mean close on the cards?

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – Only two ounces separated them on the scale. That amounts to a couple of AA batteries, or maybe a tennis ball. It’s not much, somewhere between tiny and imperceptible.

Call it even, a sign perhaps of what to expect in a compelling welterweight fight between Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter Saturday (ESPN + pay-per-view/6 pm PT, 9 pm ET) at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena.

Betting odds suggest otherwise. They were 6-to-1 in favor of Crawford after he was at 146.4 pounds and Porter at 146.6 Friday at the formal weigh-in.

If those odds are reliable, Crawford will prove what he’s been saying all along. His skillset, he says, is unrivaled at welterweight and perhaps any weight.

It’s a claim he has asserted and re-asserted throughout a pound-for-pound debate that has shifted in favor of Canelo Alvarez, a super-middleweight champion who apparently is planning to fight for a cruiserweight title.

Against the smart and stubborn Porter, Crawford has a chance to punch some real evidence into his pound-for-pound claim.

“Beating a guy like Shawn Porter would boost my resume and my legacy to the next level,’’ Crawford, the World Boxing Organization’s champion, said earlier this week. “I’m not going to be biased. I’m going to be realistic.

“It depends on how I beat Shawn Porter and what fashion.’’

Fashion could mean just about anything. But a stoppage seems to fit best. It would say everything Crawford hopes to.

However, Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), never a man of many words, said even less Friday. Opening bell is close. He stepped off the scale Friday and only said he wanted to win.

But he punctuated that comment with the intense eyes that appear to to see opportunity in the approaching storm. Lose the opportunity and he has lost the debate.

Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) also understands the stakes. He said a few weeks ago that he thought Crawford, unbeaten and a three-division champion, is already in the Hall of Fame. Porter is not quite there yet. But he’s on the brink, he said. An upset of Crawford would put him there.

Despite the seemingly one-sided odds, Porter has a resume that suggests he can spring that upset.

He has lost three fights – to Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman and Kell Brook He has a draw with Julio Diaz. He’s been down twice, once against Spence and once against Adrian Broner. That’s the part of his record that says he’s vulnerable.

But here’s what says he has a shot: He’s never been stopped. More significant, perhaps, is that he lost narrowly on the scorecards — a split decision — to Spence before Spence was badly hurt in a car crash. Pre-accident, Crawford-Spence might have been a pick-em fight.

Porter’s gritty resilience against Spence is just one marker that says that he can do what the odds say he can’t.

He knows that, knows it enough to smile straight into the menace projected by Crawford’s unforgiving eyes.

They measured each other throughout an unblinking stare-down during the ritual face-off for nearly 23 seconds after the weigh-in.

Porter finally broke it off, faced the crowd and smiled.

“Terence, you know better than I do that you’ve matured,’’ he said a couple of days before the weigh-in. “I feel like people see your personality and your character right now more than they’ve ever seen, but I feel like I’m still correct in saying that when the wrong Tweet or Instagram post goes up, you can get upset.’’

Upset, maybe, in more ways than one.




VIDEO: Crawford – Porter Weigh-In




Weigh-In Results: Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter

   •      Terence Crawford 146.4 lbs vs. Shawn Porter 146.6 lbs 
(Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Dave Moretti, Max De Luca and Steve Weisfeld
Referee: Celestino Ruiz  

•     Esquiva Falcao 158.8 lbs vs. Patrice Volny 159.4 lbs 
(IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator — 12 Rounds)

•    Janibek Alimkhanuly 159.8 lbs vs. Hassan N’Dam 158.6 lbs 
(Alimkhanuly’s WBO Global and WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Titles — 10 Rounds)

•    Raymond Muratalla 135.4 lbs vs. Elias Araujo 137 lbs 
(Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)

   •    Isaac Dogbe 125 lbs vs. Christopher Diaz 125.5 lbs
 
(Dogboe’s NABF Featherweight Title— 10 Rounds)

   •    Adam Lopez 126.4 lbs vs. Adan Ochoa 126.5 lbs
 
(Featherweight — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN APP, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT)

   •      Karlos Balderas 131.8 lbs vs. Julio Cortez 131.4 lbs
 
(Junior Lightweight — 6 Rounds)
  •       Tiger Johnson 144.8 lbs vs. Antonius Grable 146.8 lbs
 
(Welterweight — 4 Rounds)




Brothers-In-Arms: Crawford, Porter face each other in a fight between old friends

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS – Friends aren’t supposed to fight each other. But Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter are about to in a fight fascinating in large part because of a friendship forged and often tested over a couple of decades.

Both 34, they’ve grown up together, brothers-in-arms who on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena will walk to opposite corners and then face each other in perhaps the best bout (ESPN+ pay-per-view, 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET) in the fabled welterweight division in awhile

It’s intriguing for all the usual reasons. There’s legacy and the pound-for-pound debate. It’s also the best fight at any weight in the post-Manny Pacquiao era. It’s a chance to move on in a business so often trapped in nostalgia.

That accounts for some late buzz suddenly surrounding a fight that was kind of lost when formally announced amid noisy hype before Tyson Fury’s wild stoppage of Deontay Wilder in the capper to a heavyweight trilogy on October 9.

Fury-Wilder was a carnival. Crawford-Porter could be a classic.

A sure sign of it is in the absence of the tired trash talk that cheapens so much of what boxing has to offer. In terms of the pre-fight rhetoric, most bouts these days are a cross between pro wrestling and a lousy-lounge act.

The pre-fight tone to this one is different. Translation: Nothing phony about it. The reason rests in what Crawford and Porter know about each other. They’ve watched each other, sometimes in admiration and sometimes warily, as amateurs and then as young pros. They might never have imagined that they would one day meet at the top of the 147-pound division.

But here they are, at a crossroads to a shared journey. In some ways, it almost looks inevitable. Then again, doesn’t everything in hindsight? But much of the bout revolves around what they’ve seen in each other over the years. Their past creates a dramatic dynamic.

They’ll step into the ring as very different personalities. Crawford says little. Porter, a television analyst, says a lot.

Crawford has the most expressive eyes since Thomas Hearns. They say everything. There’s anger there. Menace, too. More than a few opponents have looked into Crawford’s eyes and melted down.

But Porter won’t. He has looked into them. Looked back. Seen that anger. If anything, he’ll try to turn it around, turn it against Crawford.

Porter’s father and trainer, Kenny Porter, looks at Crawford and recalls a testy confrontation with him when the Omaha welterweight was 20-years old. Both Crawford and Shawn were fighting in an amateur tournament in Venezuela. There was a brawl in the stands. Kenny Porter thought he saw Crawford in the middle of it.

Kenny Porter decided to confront Crawford about it. He said he encountered Crawford in a dark hallway beneath the stands. He was about to ask him what in- the-hell happened.

That’s when Kenny Porter said he looked at Crawford and saw those eyes flash like a spark off flint.

“Then, I looked at Terence’s hands, which were already balled up into fists,’’ Kenny Porter said. “He looked at me. It was a look that said: ‘What do you want to do?’

“I decided to walk away. But that’s Terence.’’

Then and now.

It’s the Terence Crawford that father Kenny Porter and son Shawn say is essentially still there.

“I believe Terence Crawford is more dangerous than any fighter today,’’ Kenny Porter said.

But dangerous doesn’t mean unbeatable. Mike Tyson was the defining face of dangerous until he ran into Buster Douglas and then Evander Holyfield.

Shawn Porter puts on his analyst’s cap when he studies today’s Crawford, No. 2 to Canelo Alvarez in many pound-for-pound rankings.

He sees a fighter he might be able to disrupt with an inside attack full of uppercuts and counters.

Crawford’s versatile skillset – an ability to switch from orthodox to southpaw and one-punch power – has allowed him to dictate tempo throughout his unbeaten career (37-0, 28 KOs), which includes titles at three weights. That – and those eyes – help explain the odds. He was a 6-to-1 favorite Thursday.

But Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) thinks he can frustrate Crawford in ways that might anger him enough to interrupt a rhythm that from – fight-to fight – Crawford has been able to establish and sustain.

Porter knows Crawford’s temperament. He has seen him get angry at criticism.

“Every tweet, every social-media post that goes up, you’re going to get upset,’’ Porter said to Crawford Wednesday during the final formal news conference.

Crawford looked back and said:

“Maybe, maybe not.”

Texts and social media posts aren’t exactly uppercuts and counters. But Porter hopes they have the same impact, mostly because he’s seen how an old friend reacts to them. Porter’s use of the word “upset” was no coincidence. That’s what he’s planning.

Maybe, maybe not.

The Pick: Crawford, split decision. In the end, it’s a fight between consummate professionals. That means it will be decided by inches. Crawford is an inch taller. He has four-and-half more inches in reach. He’ll need those advantages and he’ll know how to use them against the clever Porter for a margin of a few points – inches – on the scorecards.




Exclusively on ESPN+: Top Rank PPV Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter November 20

Fight week is here. Terence “Bud” Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title in a legacy-defining super fight against “Showtime” Shawn Porter this Saturday, November 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. 

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Before Crawford and Porter touch gloves, the full suite of fight week events will stream live on Top Rank’s YouTubeTwitter and Facebook pages, in addition to various ESPN platforms.

New episodes of Top Rank Real Time, a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters and their camps, will premier every evening on Top Rank’s YouTube channel.

Thursday, November 18: Crawford vs. Porter Undercard Press Conference
4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT
Streaming on ESPN APP and Top Rank’s YouTubeTwitter & Facebook pages

Friday, November 19: Crawford vs. Porter Official Weigh-In
Undercard Fights (including PPV bouts)
4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT
Live on Top Rank’s YouTubeTwitter & Facebook pages

Main Event 
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
Live on ESPNews and Top Rank’s YouTubeTwitter & Facebook pages

Saturday, November 20: Crawford vs. Porter FIGHT DAY
Early Undercard Fights
6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Live and exclusively on ESPN APP (no paywall)
* Features rising junior lightweight Karlos Balderas and the professional debut of recent U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson in a welterweight bout.

Undercard Broadcast
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
ESPN2 and ESPN+
* Isaac Dogboe-Christopher Diaz (10 rounds, featherweight) & Adam Lopez-Adan Ochoa II (8 rounds, featherweight).

PPV Broadcast
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
CLICK HERE for ESPN+ Order Event Page

* PPV broadcast includes Crawford-Porter, a 12-round IBF middleweight title eliminator featuring unbeaten contenders Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao and Patrice Volny, a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam, and an eight-round lightweight contest between Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Elias “El Macho” Araujo.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.comwww.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.comESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).




VIDEO: Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter Undercard Press Conference




VIDEO: Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter Final Press Conference




Terence Crawford & Shawn Porter Primed for Saturday’s Welterweight Super Fight

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 17, 2021)Terence “Bud” Crawford and “Showtime” Shawn Porter didn’t need to hoot and holler to make their point. With fight day three days away, they were all business. The longtime acquaintances came up together in the amateur ranks in the late 2000s. At the time, Porter outweighed Crawford by more than 30 pounds. More than a decade later, the welterweight stars are finally crossing paths.

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight pound-for-pound great, will make the fifth defense of his WBO welterweight title against Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. CLICK HERE to view the ESPN+ order page.

At Wednesday’s main event press conference, this is what Crawford and Porter had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I respect everything that Shawn does. Shawn is athletic, he can box, he can bang, he can move around in the ring, he can cut corners and take angles. I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t respect anything that he does. I’m just going to say that I do a lot of things better than Shawn. I’m going to show him come Saturday.

“Once we signed that contract, the switch was already flipped and I can’t wait to go out there Saturday to display my talent and look good doing it. Until then, right now I’m just chilling, playing Call of Duty in the room by myself all day. I’ve been in the room all day isolating.” 

Shawn Porter

“I don’t think there’s too much that I can say to Bud that’s going to change the way he thinks about himself and the outcome of this fight. He can’t look at me and say, ‘I’m going to beat your ass’ and I’m going to believe that, and he knows that, and he won’t dare to do it. I could say the exact same thing he said, and I believe it.

“Terence, you know better than I do that you’ve matured. I feel like people see your personality and your character right now more than they’ve ever seen, but I feel like I’m still correct in saying that when the wrong Tweet or Instagram post goes up, you can get upset.

“There are people you can get to, and there are people that you can’t get to. I’m one of those people that you can’t get to, and I got a feeling that you can get to him quicker on the microphone than you can in the ring. In the ring, he is solid, but there may be something that is posted or said that might have an affect on him {during} the fight.

“I’m relaxing, I’m drinking water and just biding my time. I am a showtime fighter, and I can’t wait for showtime on ESPN+ PPV. I’m a really even-keeled type of guy. I like things to be easy, and fight week is always easy for me.”

SATURDAY, November 20, 2021

ESPN+ PPV, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter, 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title

Esquiva Falcao vs. Patrice Volny, 12 rounds, IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Hassan N’Dam, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly’s WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global Middleweight Titles

Raymond Muratalla vs. Elias Araujo, 8 rounds, lightweight

ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Isaac Dogboe vs. Christopher Diaz, 10 rounds, Dogboe’s NABF Featherweight Title

Adam Lopez vs. Adan Ochoa, 8 rounds, featherweight

ESPN APP (no paywall), 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Karlos Balderas vs. Fidel Cervantes, 6 rounds, junior lightweight

Tiger Johnson vs. Antonius Grable, 4 rounds, welterweight




November 20: Raymond Muratalla-Elias Araujo Lightweight Battle Confirmed to Open Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter ESPN+ PPV at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 10, 2021) — Raymond “Danger” Muratalla, the 24-year-old lightweight star from Fontana, California, has a new opponent for his PPV debut Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. After unbeaten prospect Steven Ortiz was forced to withdraw due to injury, Muratalla will fight Argentina’s Elias “El Macho” Araujo in an eight-rounder to open the PPV broadcast of the welterweight super fight between undefeated WBO world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former two-time welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

The PPV telecast also includes a 12-round IBF middleweight title eliminator featuring unbeaten contenders Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao and Patrice Volny, and a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), who trains with Robert Garcia in Riverside, California, has won seven consecutive bouts by knockout. Araujo (21-3, 8 KOs) has never been stopped as a professional, and his only two lightweight defeats have come via close decision. He was supposed to fight Joseph Adorno in Las Vegas on Nov. 5, but the bout was scrapped after Adorno missed the contract weight.

Before the PPV broadcast commences, Southern California natives Adam “BluNose” Lopez and Adan Ochoa will fight in an eight-round featherweight rematch on the undercard telecast (ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) headlined by the scheduled 10-round featherweight firefight between former world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe and two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz. Lopez (15-3, 6 KOs) hopes to rebound from June’s razor-thin decision loss to Dogboe, while Ochoa (12-2, 5 KOs) seeks retribution. Ochoa and Lopez fought as undefeated prospects in April 2017, and Lopez prevailed by four-round unanimous decision.

The fight action begins on the ESPN App (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) with a pair of young stars. 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (10-1, 9 KOs) looks to continue his winning ways against Julio Cortez (15-3, 11 KOs) in a six-rounder at junior lightweight, while recent U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson will make his long-awaited professional debut in a welterweight four-rounder versus Antonius Grable (3-1-1, 3 KOs). Johnson recently signed a long-term promotional pact with Top Rank.

Balderas, the fighting pride of Santa Maria, California, lost his unbeaten record with a shocking knockout loss to Rene Tellez Giron in December 2019. After the setback, Balderas changed managers, signed a promotional contract with Top Rank, and linked up with noted trainer Buddy McGirt. He came back in August with a second-round knockout over Fidel Cervantes. Cortez, a seven-year pro, has never been knocked out.

Johnson, from Cleveland, Ohio, advanced to the quarterfinals of the welterweight bracket at the Tokyo Olympics before losing a decision to eventual gold medalist Roniel Iglesias (Cuba).

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.comwww.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxingtwitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.comESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.




ESPN Presents Strong Support Programming Slate for Blockbuster Welterweight Showdown Crawford vs. Porter on November 20 on ESPN+ PPV

ESPN’s platforms will offer an extensive lineup of programming leading up to the highly anticipated showdown between WBO welterweight world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and his toughest test ever, former two-time world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter. The event will stream exclusively on ESPN+ PPV Saturday, Nov. 20, at 9 p.m. ET.  Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, the fight is the first-ever Top Rank-ESPN+ exclusive PPV. 

Kicking off the two weeks of offerings is the two-part Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter.Part One can be seen Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 12:30 a.m. (Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. PT).  Part 2 of Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter airs on ESPN2 on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2:30 p.m. The original all-access series takes fans behind the scenes in the training camp of both fighters. Both parts will replay multiple times until fight night.  

On Thursday, the entire ESPN boxing analyst team, including Joe Tessitore, Bernardo Osuna and Mark Kriegel, along with former pound-for-pound king Andre Ward and former world champion Timothy Bradley, preview the welterweight blockbuster. State of Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Preview Special streams exclusively on ESPN+ on Thursday, Nov. 18.  

In addition, the “Get Ready for Crawford vs. Porter” ESPN+ on-demand collection is now live on the ESPN App. This is available through the day of the fight on web, mobile, the ESPN App, and wherever one can stream on-demand ESPN+ content.  It includes great historical fights for both Crawford and Porter. 

Long considered possibly the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport, Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) will step into the ring looking to maintain his perfect record. Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) has fought most of this generation’s elite welterweights and has standout victories over the likes of Danny Garcia, Adrien Broner, Paulie Malignaggi, Andre Berto, Devon Alexander and Yordenis Ugas.  

The Crawford-Porter card, from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, will begin at 9 p.m. ET exclusively on ESPN+ PPV.  It will be preceded by the undercard at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and an earlier undercard at 6 p.m. ET on the ESPN App.  

Crawford vs. Porter Programming Lineup 

Date Time (ET) Program Network
Tue, Nov 9 5:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN2
6 PM Top Rank Boxing Classic Fights – Crawford vs. Viktor Postol ESPNEWS
Wed, Nov 10 12:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN2
Thu, Nov 11 12:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN2
4:30 AM Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by DraftKings: Crawford vs. Brook (main card) ESPNEWS
7 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN2
10:30 PM Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by DraftKings: Crawford vs. Brook (main card) ESPN2
Fri., Nov. 12 9:30 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN Deportes
Sat, Nov 13 9 AM Top Rank Boxing Classic Fights – Crawford vs. Felix Diaz ESPNEWS
12:30 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPNEWS
1 PM Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Crawford vs. Benevidez Jr. ESPNEWS
Sun, Nov 14 2:30 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2)  ESPN2
Mon, Nov 15 12:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPN2
1 AM Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Crawford vs. Kavaliauskas ESPN2
Tue, Nov 16 12 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPN2
9:30 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPN Deportes
Wed, Nov 17 5 PM Press Conference: Crawford vs. Porter ESPN2
5:30 PM Max on Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Preview ESPN2
9 PM Press Conference: Crawford vs. Porter ESPNEWS
9:30 PM Max on Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Preview ESPNEWS
Thu, Nov 18 2 AM Press Conference: Crawford vs. Porter ESPNEWS
2:30 AM Max on Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Preview ESPNEWS
5 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN Deportes
5:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPN Deportes
4:30 PM Undercard Press Conference: Crawford vs. Porter ESPN App
6 PM State of Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Preview Special ESPN+
Fri, Nov 19 12 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN2
12:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPN2
3 AM Top Rank Boxing Classic Fights – Crawford vs. Kavaliauskas ESPN2
5 PM Weigh-In: Crawford vs. Porter ESPNEWS ESPN App
5:30 PM Max on Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Weigh-In Special ESPNEWS
9 PM Weigh-In: Crawford vs. Porter ESPNEWS
9:30 PM Max on Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Weigh-In Special ESPNEWS
10 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPNEWS
10:30 PM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPNEWS
Sat, Nov 20 3:30 AM Weigh-In: Crawford vs. Porter ESPNEWS
4 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 1) ESPN Deportes
4:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPN Deportes
10:30 AM Blood, Sweat & Tears: Crawford vs. Porter(Part 2) ESPNEWS
11 AM Weigh-In: Crawford vs. Porter ESPNEWS
11:30 AM Max on Boxing: Crawford vs. Porter Weigh-In Special ESPNEWS
12 PM Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Crawford vs. Kavaliauskas ESPNEWS



November 20: Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter Undercard Loaded With Contenders and Rising Stars at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 4, 2021) — There will be plenty of fistic reinforcements Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Two high-stakes middleweight showdowns and a 50-50 fight featuring undefeated lightweights will comprise the televised PPV undercard of the welterweight super fight between undefeated WBO world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former two-time welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

The co-feature, a 12-round IBF middleweight world title eliminator, will see Brazilian 2012 Olympic silver medalist Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao fight fellow unbeaten Patrice Volny.

The PPV telecast also includes a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam, and an eight-round lightweight duel between unbeaten prospects Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Steven “The Hitman” Ortiz.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Before the PPV telecast, a special feature will set the stage. Former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will face two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz in a 10-round featherweight bout. Dogboe-Diaz will be shown live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Additional undercard fights will be announced shortly.

Falcao (28-0, 20 KOs) is a seven-year pro who signed with Top Rank following the 2012 Olympics. The 31-year-old southpaw has steadily climbed the world rankings and has knocked out five straight foes dating back to 2019. In his last outing, he stopped former world title challenger Artur Akavov in four rounds. Volny (16-0, 10 KOs), from Montreal, Canada, has fought all his pro fights in his home country and is coming off a March knockout over noted tough man Janks Trotter. The winner of Falcao-Volny will be in line to fight for the title currently held by Gennadiy Golovkin.

“I have waited for an opportunity like this for a long time, and I will grab it with both hands,” Falcao said. “I have an Olympic medal, and now it’s time to add a professional world title to my trophy case.”

Volny said, “I had several major opportunities fall through, but I am ecstatic that the fight with Falcao is happening. It won’t be an easy fight, but I have been training for a long time, and I will do whatever it takes to earn my shot at the title.”

Alimkhanuly (10-0, 6 KOs) is ranked the No. 2 middleweight by the WBO and coming off his signature win, an eighth-round stoppage over former world champion Rob Brant. From Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, the 2016 Olympian has knocked out four straight opponents dating back to April 2019. N’Dam (38-5, 21 KOs), a 17-year pro from Cameroon, held the WBA middleweight world title in 2017 and challenged for world titles on three other occasions. After a pair of defeats at super middleweight, N’Dam returns to the middleweight ranks, where he most recently defeated the formidable Martin Murray via majority decision.

Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), from Fontana, California, has risen to prominence fighting out of the famed Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Riverside, California. He last fought on the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez card in May, knocking out Jose Gallegos in five rounds. Ortiz (12-0, 3 KOs), from Philadelphia, has made a habit of knocking off undefeated prospects. In his last six fights, he has defeated four undefeated fighters, including a unanimous decision over the 14-0 Jeremy Hill in March.

Dogboe (22-2, 15 KOs) has revitalized his career since back-to-back title fight losses to Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. After a comeback knockout over Chris Avalos, he bested Adam Lopez by majority decision in June. Diaz (26-3, 16 KOs) is a two-time world challenger coming off a 12th-round TKO loss in a bid for Navarrete’s WBO featherweight world title. The Puerto Rican veteran had won two bouts as a featherweight entering the Navarrete fight and hopes a win over Dogboe leads to a third crack at world title glory.

“I’m excited for this challenge, a massive opportunity to get closer to becoming a two-division world champion,” Dogboe said. “This is a fight the fans won’t want to miss. I know Christopher is tough, but I’m stronger, tougher, and smarter. I’d like to commend everyone at Top Rank for making this fight possible and to Diaz for accepting the challenge. I always want to give the fans something to remember. That’s why I leave it all in the ring.”

Diaz said, “I’m coming back, and I’m very excited about fighting on a great stage like Crawford vs. Porter. Dogboe is a solid fighter who only has two losses against Navarrete. We both have a lot to give to boxing. The fans already know what to expect every time I get in the ring. I’m sure this fight will steal the show on November 20.”

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.




Meet The Press: Crawford, Porter talk about friendship, legacy and their welterweight showdown

LAS VEGAS – It’ a fight between friends. It’s a fight for legacy. It’s a fight for all seasons. And all the right reasons.

Finally, there will be a step toward some real resolution at the top of the welterweight division between fighters represented by rival promotional entities.

The fight between Terence Crawford, of Top Rank, and Shawn Porter, of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), was a done deal a few weeks ago. The marketing began Saturday with a formal news conference for the November 20 fight (pay-per-view, ESPN+) at Mandalay Bay.

“It’s my biggest fight, no doubt,’’ said Crawford, a former lightweight and junior-welterweight champion who has a chance to reassert his pound-for-pound claim on a big stage.

For Porter, it’s a chance to define how he will be remembered. A victory over Crawford, he said, will put him closer to the fame be believes Crawford already has.

“I think I’m on the brink of being in the Hall of Fame,’’ Porter said. “I think he’s done enough already to be in. My legacy depends on me beating Terence Crawford.’’  

The news conference at the MGM Grand was a preliminary to a long day of boxing in Vegas. The newser ended just a few hours before the Fox/ESPN pay-per-view card featuring Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder at T-Mobile Arena began.




PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES CRAWFORD & PORTER PRIMED FOR NOVEMBER 20 LAS VEGAS SHOWDOWN LIVE on ESPN+ PPV

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 9, 2021) — The longtime WBO welterweight king and pound-for-pound star, Terence Crawford, finally has the super fight he craves. Enter Shawn Porter, the two-time champion who has fought most of this generation’s elite welterweights.

Crawford and Porter will fight Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The two met face-to-face Saturday for a kickoff press conference, alongside their respective trainers and promoters.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

This is what the fighters and their teams had to say Saturday in Las Vegas.

TERENCE CRAWFORD
“We always have had a good relationship ever since the amateur days. There has never been any bad blood. It’s always been all love, but come November 20, we step on him. 

“It’s put up or shut up. In my eyes, I can stand up and pull my shirt out and I can really show this 8-pack I got because you know I stay working. I stay working. That is nothing new to me, and it isn’t anything new to you. You know what you are up against on November 20. I know what I’m against on November 20. 

“We are going to give the fans a great night of boxing. It will be fireworks from the first bell to bell 12 if you last that long.  

“Unlike other fighters that you fought, I’m different. I believe you know that I’m different. The more you push, the more I will push. You hit me hard, and l 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 number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. 

“Everybody is excited. My family, my friends, my supporters have been dying to be at a live event and this will be the first time in a long time where they can see Terence Crawford live in action. Everybody is hungry for it, just like I have been dying to get in the ring. The time is now. I’m going to give everyone what they have been asking for.”

SHAWN PORTER
“When I get in the ring, I command the ring. When I get in a room, I command the room. 

“I believe this fight is happening right on time. There’s no secret that there is a lot of respect between me and Terence.

“We can talk all about resumes, but when I look at his resume, nobody that has been in the ring with him, knows him as I know him. The best of Terence Crawford will bring out the best of Shawn Porter. What I do know is November 20 is a big day for boxing and it will be a big day for Team Porter. 

“I’m sure I’m on the brink of getting into the Hall of Fame. For me, it’s not only win or go home. It’s win, or nothing else. My life right now it’s all about beating and dominating Crawford. My legacy will depend on beating Terence Crawford. 

“He is a dominant fighter. Everyone he gets in the ring with, he dominates. 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. 

“On November 20, the energy will be great. Fight night will be unlike no other. This will be the crazy energy you ever felt and I’m looking forward to it.” 

BOB ARUM, Top Rank Chairman
“I want to thank Tom Brown for his cooperation. With the companies that we represent cooperating, it will only be good for boxing, and we can do bigger and better matches. 

“Terence Crawford is the only unified champion sitting on this stage. He unified the 140-pound division, and maybe the reason he hasn’t fought other top welterweights, it’s because you guys were hiding them because you didn’t want to put them in with Terence.” 

TOM BROWN, TGB Promotions President
“This really is a tremendous fight. I want to congratulate Top Rank for putting this great fight together.  

“This is the kind of fight that both the fans and the media have asked for and we were able to deliver it. 

“Terence Crawford is a great fighter, and he has fought great fighters, but this guy (Porter) right here is on a whole other level. Shawn Porter is one of the best welterweights in the world, but also one of the best fighters in the sport.” 

BRIAN MCINTYRE, Crawford’s Trainer
“On paper, this is the toughest fight of Terence’s career, but we will not know until we actually get in the ring. As a trainer, I want this to be the toughest fight for Terence because you are going to see a better Terence Crawford. The better the fighter, the better that Terence is. 

“Something about this camp is very special. We ready. You can’t bring random sparring partners when you are facing someone like Porter. We have to search the world for the best of the best.”

KENNY PORTER, Shawn Porter’s Trainer
“You can’t beat this type of caliber fighter fighting the way you always fought. You have to change everything. You have to be better. Shawn has been away training in the mountains. Secluded. Just himself and God. 

“BoMac is a great trainer. Terence is an excellent fighter. We have an enormous amount of respect for him and his team. Every day I’m trying to figure out and see what we can do better. You must change. You must be better when you are facing a fighter of his caliber.” 

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.comwww.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxingtwitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.comESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.




LIVE VIDEO: Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter | KICKOFF PRESS CONFERENCE




Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter Welterweight Title Showdown Set for November 20 at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 29, 2021) — Pound-for-pound star Terence “Bud” Crawford has called out the welterweight superstars for years.  His long wait for a legacy-defining fight is now over. Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title and unbeaten record Saturday, Nov. 20 against two-time welterweight champion and WBO No. 1 contender “Showtime” Shawn Porter at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets starting at $54 go on sale Monday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com. Undercard information will be announced shortly.

“This is a fight that reminds me of all the great welterweight battles of the 1980s and 90s, two prime fighters unafraid to tackle the biggest challenge available to them,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Terence has wanted a challenge like this for a very long time, and I am confident he will rise to the occasion. Shawn Porter, however, is not an easy night for any fighter.”

“I’ve been calling out the top welterweights since I moved up to 147 in 2018, and I’m excited that Shawn stepped up,” Crawford said. “This fight will bring out the best in me and showcase parts of my game that the world hasn’t seen yet. On November 20, I will silence my doubters and prove that I am the best welterweight in the world.”

Porter said, “I’ve wanted this fight for a long time and now my patience has paid off. Throughout my career, I’ve taken on the best and proven myself as a man who gives 100 percent in everything I do. Terence Crawford is a great, versatile fighter who is very athletic just like myself. We are the two best welterweights in the world, and on November 20, we get a chance to prove who is the best. Fight fans can expect a great show that night and, with this victory, I will cement myself as the best welterweight of this era.”

Matt Kenny, Vice President, Programming & Acquisition, ESPN added, “We are thrilled to present this blockbuster welterweight showdown exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. This is the kind of fight that boxing fans dream of and we are looking forward to a tremendous event on November 20.”

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight world champion from America’s heartland, Omaha, Nebraska, has made four defenses of his world title since knocking off Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in June 2018. A mainstay near the upper rungs of the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, Crawford has been a world champion since March 2014. He defeated WBO lightweight world champion Ricky Burns on enemy soil in Scotland and made his first title defense in front of the Omaha faithful with a ninth-round stoppage over Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford became the first man in the four-belt era to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion, and he is 4-0 with four knockouts since moving up to welterweight. His knockout streak of eight dates back to July 2016, when he notched a one-sided decision over Viktor “The Iceman” Postol at MGM Grand Garden Arena to unify two of the junior welterweight world titles. Crawford is coming off last November’s fourth-round knockout over Kell Brook inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs), a 13-year pro from Akron, Ohio, first tasted championship glory in December 2013 when he outfought the previously undefeated Devon Alexander to win the IBF welterweight title. He knocked out two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi in his first title defense before Brook edged him by majority decision in August 2014. Over the next seven years, Porter continued fighting the welterweight elite, becoming a two-time world champion in 2018 when he toppled Danny Garcia to win the WBC welterweight title. He defended that title against future Manny Pacquiao conqueror Yordenis Ugas before taking Errol Spence Jr. to the limit in a September 2019 title unification tilt. After dropping a split decision to Spence, Porter regrouped with a one-sided decision over Sebastian Formella in August 2020 to set up the Crawford showdown.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.comwww.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxingtwitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.comESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.