Crawford TKOs Benavidez in 12, retains WBO title

Photos: Sumio Yamada

World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) scored an impressive twelfth round TKO over previously unbeaten Jose Benavidez Jr (27-1, 18 KOs) on Saturday night at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

After a highly contentious lead up to the fight, the first six rounds were close. Midway, Crawford began to pull away. In the last round, Crawford dropped Benavidez with an uppercut and “Bud” got the stoppage with his follow up barrage as Benavidez sank into the ropes. Time was 2:42.

“We knew that he wanted to get in my head and make it a firefight,” Crawford said. “I saw him in his corner taking deep breaths and knew he was done.”

Said Crawford’s trainer/manager Brian McIntyre: “I told Benavidez he was going to get his ass kicked. And that’s what Bud did!”

The crowd of 13,323 at the CHI Health Center was the largest ever to attend a boxing match in Nebraska.

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