Yesterday I brought to you Errol Spence’s top five knockout victories, and today it is time to share the top five victories of Terence “Bud” Crawford. Crawford is a three-division champion and was the undisputed ruler of the 140lb division before moving up to welterweight. If he is victorious against Spence on July 29th, he would become the first male fighter to be an undisputed champion in two different divisions in the four-belt era (Claressa Shields is a 3-time, two-division undisputed champion on the women’s side). Just as I did when I ranked Spence’s knockouts, I factored in the level of opposition and accomplishment into these rankings. A stoppage win over a world champion or a stoppage victory to claim an undisputed crown are valued more than a stoppage victory over a contender who was a heavy underdog.

Current Title: WBO Welterweight Title (defeated WBO Champion Jeff Horn in 2018)

Titles Held: WBO Lightweight Title (defeated WBO Champion Ricky Burns in 2014)

WBO Junior Welterweight Title (defeated Thomas Dulorme for vacant title in 2015)

WBC Junior Welterweight Title (defeated WBC Champion Viktor Postol in 2016)

WBA and IBF Junior Welterweight Titles (defeated Unified Champion Julius Indongo in 2017)

“Bud’s” Top 5 Knockout Wins to Date

1) Terence Crawford vs Yuriorkis Gamboa (Round 9 TKO) June 28th, 2014

Terence Crawford had just won his first world title, the WBO lightweight strap, by going over to Scotland and beating then-champion Ricky Burns via a wide unanimous decision. His first defense of that title came against the highly decorated Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gamboa was an elite amateur and claimed a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. That level of success followed him to the pro ranks, as he became the unified featherweight world champion and was also an “interim” champion in the 130 and 135lb divisions. Both men were undefeated coming into this matchup, and it was virtually a 50/50 fight according to the oddsmakers. Gamboa seemed one step ahead of Crawford early, but that all changed once Crawford scored a knockdown in the fifth round. Crawford would score another knockdown in the eighth round and by that point he had taken over the fight. He survived a little scare in the ninth as Gamboa caught him with a right hand that seemed to have him hurt for a moment, but he responded the way champions do and dropped Gamboa twice in that round. On the fourth and final knockdown of the fight, Crawford walked Gamboa right into a sharp right uppercut that closed the show.

2) Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter (Round 10 TKO) November 20th, 2021

Terence Crawford had been longing for the opportunity to square off against a fellow elite welterweight for years since making the jump to 147lbs. He got the chance to do so against two-time champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter late in 2021, and with a quality performance, he would quiet all the critics who weren’t thrilled with his level of opposition in his first five fights at 147lbs. Porter’s athleticism helped him win the early rounds but Crawford began to counter him on his way in as the fight progressed. After a nip and tuck first nine rounds, Crawford separated himself by scoring two knockdowns in the tenth round. The first one was a left uppercut as Porter was closing the distance, and a right hook followed up by a combination sent Porter to the canvas once again. Shawn’s father and trainer Kenny Porter stopped the fight after the second knockdown. Even though many believed that Porter could have continued in the fight, he had never been knocked down twice in a fight before, never mind in the same round. Kenny knows his son better than any of us do, and he made the decision that he felt he had to. Shawn Porter would announce his retirement in the post-fight press conference.

3) Terence Crawford vs Julius Indongo (Round 3 KO) August 19th, 2017

Terence Crawford put his WBO and WBC titles on the line against WBA and IBF champion Julius Indongo when the two met to determine the undisputed champion of the 140lb division. Indongo never seemed comfortable in the ring, and was dropped by a left hand that grazed the top of his head in the second round. Halfway through the third round Indongo threw a one-two combination, but left himself in the perfect position for Crawford to counter him with a left uppercut to his body. Indongo laid on the canvas in excruciating pain, and referee Jack Reiss had no choice but to waive off the fight. Though this win over Indongo has not aged well over time, with him going 2-6 since this defeat, the way Crawford scored the knockout and the fact that it was for an undisputed title made it worthy of being included.0

4) Terence Crawford vs Jeff Horn (Round 9 TKO) June 9th, 2018

Jeff Horn became the WBO welterweight champion when he defeated Manny Pacquiao via a controversial decision, but his reign was short-lived. After a title defense against Gary Corcoran, he was mandated by the WBO to face their mandatory challenger which happened to be Terence “Bud” Crawford. This was Crawford’s first fight in the 147lb division, and he made a major statement to his contemporaries showing that he was a real threat. The fight was one-sided, with Crawford winning every round on each of the judges’ scorecards. A crisp combination finished off by a left hand upstairs forced Horn to the canvas near the end of the ninth round. Horn made the ten count, but immediately after the fight continued Crawford went back on the attack. A flurry of punches, most notably a left uppercut followed by a straight left hand, caused referee Robert Byrd to intervene and award the technical knockout victory to Crawford.

5) Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook (Round 4 TKO) November 14th, 2020

Terence Crawford faced off against former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook at the MGM Grand Bubble during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It was Brook’s first time making the 147lb limit in three and a half years, so many people wondered if he would be able to withstand the firepower of a guy like Crawford. Brook looked good in the early rounds, and his jab began to form some swelling over the eye of Crawford. Once Crawford turned southpaw, he took away the jab of Brook immediately which turned the tide of the fight. A counter right hand by Crawford over the jab of Brook sent the former champion tumbling into the ropes. Brook received a count and continued in the fight, but he was out on his feet and Crawford once against proved why he is mentioned as one of the best finishers in the sport of boxing and forced referee Tony Weeks to step in and save Brook.

Honorable Mentions: Terence Crawford vs David Avanesyan (Round 6 KO) December 10th, 2022

Crawford’s most recent fight against David Avanesyan is where he recorded what is potentially the cleanest knockout of his pro career. Avanesyan is a tough and rugged fighter who tried to push Crawford back from the opening bell, but his style was tailor-made for a guy with the fight IQ and counterpunching abilities of Crawford. In the sixth round, Crawford threw a left uppercut that created an opening for him to land a devastating right hook which left Avanesyan out cold on the canvas. Crawford has had knockouts against better opposition, but this picture-perfect shot had to be included.

Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez Jr (Round 12 TKO) October 13th, 2018

There was a lot of animosity between Terence Crawford and Jose Benavidez Jr in the build-up to their fight, and they settled their beef in the ring in October of 2018. Benavidez showed flashes of his elite hand speed, but he was not as diverse a fighter as Crawford and that eventually caught up to him. Benavidez was a stationary target most of the time which allowed Crawford to land combinations. With less than a minute left in the twelfth and final round, Crawford landed a right uppercut just as Benavidez tried to land one of his own and knocked him down. Benavidez got back to his feet, but after taking a barrage of punches, he was out on his feet and referee Celestino Ruiz stepped in to call the fight off.

Terence Crawford vs Andre Gorges (Round 5 KO) April 14th, 2012

Terence Crawford’s knockout over Andre Gorges was over a decade ago, however the knockout itself was so brutal that it had to be included as an honorable mention. Gorges was a middle-of-the-round professional who was coming off of a split decision win over former world champion Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, but he beat a Corley whose best days were certainly behind him and had sixteen losses at the time. In the fifth round, Crawford landed an overhand right that froze Gorges momentarily and then sent him crashing face-first into the canvas.