Terence Crawford Drops Errol Spence Jr. Three Times, Stops Him in RD9, Becomes Twice Undisputed | FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

In a sensational display of boxing brilliance and knockout power, Terence Crawford proved his detractors wrong and established himself as the undisputed best welterweight in boxing. The long-awaited clash between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. lived up to its enormous hype, culminating in a thrilling ninth-round highlight knockout victory for Crawford.

The stage was set for a historic unification fight between the undefeated champions at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. From the opening bell, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) showcased his mastery, fighting exclusively from a southpaw stance and displaying his superior strength and boxing skills over the courageous Spence (28-1, 22 KOs).

Crawford's precision and timing were evident as he consistently landed power punches that left Spence struggling to find his rhythm. In the second round, Crawford delivered a beautiful straight left-jab counter combination that dropped Spence to the canvas, signaling the beginning of his offensive onslaught. Spence quickly rose to his feet, showing his resilience, but the knockdown clearly indicated Crawford's knockout prowess.

In the action-packed seventh round, Terence Crawford delivered a jaw-dropping display of his knockout power by dropping Errol Spence Jr. not once but twice. The first knockdown came courtesy of a short uppercut, right hook counter combination that sent Spence sprawling to the canvas, leaving the crowd in awe of Crawford's precision and timing. Undeterred, Spence courageously rose to his feet, only to be met later in the round with a fierce double right hook from Crawford that sent him down again in the closing seconds of the round.

Crawford's dominance was evident as he dropped Spence three times during the fight, making him the first opponent to do so in Spence's 28 professional fights. Referee Harvey Dock stopped the bout at 2:32 of the ninth round as Crawford unleashed a relentless barrage of power punches that staggered a bloodied and battered-faced Spence.

All three judges scored the fight in favor of Crawford, with a commanding lead of 79-70 entering the ninth round. With this victory, Crawford achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first fully unified welterweight champion in the four-belt era. The native of Omaha, Nebraska, retained his WBO 147-pound championship while adding Spence's IBF, WBA, and WBC belts to his collection.

The masterful performance cemented Crawford's status as the sport's first male undisputed champion in two divisions since the recognition of the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO belts. Having previously held the undisputed 140-pound championship, Crawford's transition to welterweight in 2018 has been marked by a string of knockout victories against top-level competition.

This victory held immense significance for Crawford, not only for the belts he secured but also as a testament to his resilience and determination to prove his greatness despite the doubters. In the post-fight interview with Showtime, Crawford expressed his emotions, stating, "It means everything because of who I took the belts from' Crawford said. “They tried to blackball me. They kept me out. They talked bad about me. They said I wasn’t good enough and I couldn’t beat these welterweights. I just kept my head to the sky and kept praying to God that I would get the opportunity to show the world how great Terence Crawford is. Tonight, I believe I showed how great I am."

Despite the resounding defeat, Spence showed outstanding sportsmanship, acknowledging Crawford's superiority in the ring. Spence has a contractual right to an immediate rematch within 30 days, but Crawford now can dictate the weight limit for their potential second encounter. Spence's desire to move up to 154 pounds may set the stage for an intriguing rematch in the near future.

“We gotta do it again,” Spence told Showtime's Jim Gray in the ring. “I’ma be a lot better. It’s gonna be a lot closer. It’s probably gonna be in December, [at] the end of the year ... hopefully at [154].” Spence still didn’t blame his lopsided loss on his grueling weight cut. “He was just the better man tonight,” Spence said. “He was using the jab ... my timing was a little bit off and he was catching me in-between shots.”

The boxing world watched in awe as Crawford showcased the brilliance that has defined his storied career. His victory over Spence is a testament to his unrivaled skill and unwavering determination. With this historic win, Crawford's legacy as one of boxing's all-time greats is firmly solidified.