Vinny’s Views: One More Look at Terence Crawford’s DESTRUCTION of Julius Indongo
By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci
Last Saturday night the internet circumvented the globe like rings around Saturn in the blink of an eye with unbridled praise for the new undisputed unified champion of the 140 pound division, Terence Crawford. Known to home state fans simply as “Bud,” the boxing world must now acknowledge him as “king.” It’s been thirteen years since the last unified junior welterweight Kostya Tszyu held all the belts and trinkets of alphabet madness, and eleven since any fighter (Bernard Hopkins, middleweight) was unified.
For a fight of its magnitude the media really didn’t have much to say. One column after another proclaiming Crawford the winner of unification match with Julius Indongo by third round knockout by a body shot. Long live the king.
Yawn. In a fight layered in lots of movement and posturing there was little action in terms of combat as both double belted champions mirrored each other in southpaw stances angling to gap the precious inches between them without committing a fatal error. Crawford was slightly inhuman using “Benitezesque” defensive overtures that had Indongo’s dangerous left hand grenades missing by fractions on a ruler. For a man who had twice tasted the canvas in an unblemished career Julius was throwing caution to the wind in the belief he could end matters early if he could catch his nemesis clean. What he found out rather quickly was Crawford’s technical abilities were far superior and had him in confusion mode as early as the two minute mark of first round not knowing whether to spit or wind his wrist watch.
Indongo tried in vain to lead and counter only to find Crawford was already setting traps and beating him to the optimum real estate inside the pocket. His frustration quickly turned to anger while Crawford kept his cool behind a half smirk of royal confidence. The most telling blow landed in the first stanza which was a body shot that clearly caught the judges attention and would be a precursor of what was to follow.
After wetting the appetites of the live crowd at Pinnacle Park Arena, the mostly native Nebraskan crowd had already surmised the local hero had the Nabian’s number and was just cruising down the track before punching his ticket. Crawford exhibited better movement, angles and ring generalship leading up to the critical mark of round when he cut loose a right to the body followed by a left hook to head which landed behind the ear dropping the “Blue Machine” onto to the canvas. He arose and took the finish of an eight count by referee Jack Reiss, and quickly falling behind three points on the score cards with an automatic 10/8 round.
I’ve written before that while Crawford was generally recognized in the top three or four on mythical pound for pound ratings as a boxer, he also exhibits some junk yard dog attitude and the look in his wide eyed stare was like Hannibal Lecter when someone rings the dinner bell. The betting favorite at -1000 was hell bent on a mission to erase the +350 challenge off the boards completely.
Round three, as the time keeper’s clock hit 1:28, Crawford unleashed two body punches which appeared the first one missed. The second was not a liver shot of the storied variety which cuts a man down to size like a bolt of lightning, but rather solar plexus bull’s-eye gym teachers call the old bread basket. Julius Indongo took the ten count suffering the first loss of his career while relinquishing his reign on the IBF and WBA belts.
Crawford upped his championship ledger to 12-0, 7 KO’s.
While most handicappers and boxing media predicted the versatility of Crawford to win the day nobody including yours truly thought he would make it look so damn easy. So once again, the drums were beating before the arena filed out as to Terence’s claim to be the number one with a bullet on the pound for pound list. ESPN which broadcasted the unification were officially calling Light heavyweight champion Andre Ward who was in the broadcast booth the best fighter in the world. I have reserved opinion until years end as both of Ward’s title fights against Sergey Kovalev were surrounded in controversy; the title winning effort a horrific decision, the title defense won on a low blow assault.
Middleweight king Gennady Golovkin has been cleaning house for years and long awaited showdown with Canelo Alvarez just one month away. Matrix sensation Vasyl Lomachenko has beguiled opponents and stupefied trainers and analysts alike with a boxing acumen witnessed rarely in a lifetime. His drawback to bragging rights is his modest 9-1 record, leaving the door and argument wide open as to why we should anoint Crawford king of the heap.
The coronation is so tempting, yet the fistic fraternity patiently awaits his ascension into the welterweight division seven pounds north where the waters run deep with talent. Champions Keith Thurman and Errol Spence, JR. rule over gauntlet of iconic names all posturing for a title shot. Ex champions Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Amir Kahn and Manny Pacquiao are all beacons of light shining on Crawford’s horizon.
Stay tuned…
[si-contact-form form=’2′]