The WBO welterweight title is at stake tonight (Saturday, October 13th) in Omaha, Nebraska. Reigning champion Terence Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs), widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, defends his title in front of his home fans against former amateur standout Jose Benavidez Jr (27-0, 18 KOs), who has yet to really get a signature win in his pro career, but this is his opportunity.
Benavidez is unsurprisingly a massive underdog, as Crawford has shown himself to be an elite fighter for years, having unified the 140-pound world titles last year. What this fight lacks in terms of being “best vs. best” on paper is the serious grudge these two hold against each other. The jawing back-and-forth culminated in a physical altercation that saw Benavidez dodge a Crawford punch at the weigh-ins. Benavidez says he sees nothing special in Crawford, and you know “Bud” will look to make him eat those words and then some.
Bloody Elbow is the place to discuss tonight’s event, which starts at 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT on ESPN. The co-main event is American Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (8-0, 4 KOs) against short notice replacement Viorel Simion (21-2, 9 KOs), who is by far his toughest opponent to date.
Official results
Terence Crawford def. Jose Benavidez Jr by TKO at 2:42 of round 12 - Welterweights, 12 Rounds
Shakur Stevenson def. Viorel Simion by TKO at 3:00 of round 1 - Super Featherweights, 10 rounds