Terence Crawford makes bid for Manny Pacquiao fight with dominant TKO win

“I’d like to thank everyone that came out and supported me”, Crawford said after looking at the overwhelming support he got from his hometown fans.

Whether it’s his preternaturally poised demeanour, his chameleon-like adaptability as a fighter or his surprising ability to box and slug in equal measure, Terence Crawford is a fighter who consistently redefines expectations faster than those covering the sport can create them. One of the conditions that promoter Bob Arum stated before the fight was for Crawford not just to win against Jean but it must be an impressive win to get Pacquiao’s attention when he get to watch the fight.

Baiting Jean into tepid jabs and half-hearted combinations, Crawford counter-punched his way through the first few rounds. Jean was knocked down by a pair of rights to the head at the end of the ninth and after motioning to his corner to not throw the towel in after being wobbled in the following round, Crawford closed him out.

“I did whatever I wanted to do”, Crawford said.

Rumors circulated before the fight that Saturday night was something of an audition for Crawford, as Manny Pacquiao announced he would fight one more time before retiring and a Pacquiao-Crawford fight could be next. Another right hand rocked Jean in the fourth round and forced him to grab onto Crawford.

Crawford, who overcame a rough childhood to become the WBO super lightweight champion and a hugely popular figure in his native Omaha, said he’s fueled by his upbringing in a rough section of his hometown. When he nailed Jean with a right hand and a left, Jean went down along the ropes, and referee Tony Weeks stepped in to wave off the fight without a count at 2 minutes, 30 seconds, sending the pro-Crawford crowd into bedlam. I feel good, I feel strong, weights already on, I’m just getting ready for that day…I’m gonna put on a great show. Crawford’s southpaw stylings forced Jean to abandon his game plan. “I’m ready for Pacquiao”.

Crawford connected with 169 of 533 punches (32 percent), according to CompuBox punch statistics.

The first round, up until just before the final bell, was a typically cagey, measured start for Crawford. “All I need is a phone call”.