At the CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Terence Crawford couldn’t have been more comfortable as he put on a masterful boxing display en route to stopping Dierry Jean in the 10th round. Jean was spirited throughout, but was ultimately out of his depth against Crawford, our No.7 Pound for Pound boxer.
Going into the 10th, Boxing Base’s 90-79 scorecard was testament to Crawford’s prowess in a bout that saw the Omaha-native successfully defend his WBO Junior Welterweight title. Crawford now rises to 27 wins, no defeats, with 19 knockouts, while Jean returns to Montreal with 29 wins, 2 defeats, and 20 knockouts.
Crawford scored the first knockdown of the fight ten seconds before the bell chimed to end the opening round. Both men had been cagey beforehand, feeling each other out with the jab, and then bam! – Crawford caught Jean, dropping him with the right-hand. The power shot had landed at the point in which Crawford had switched to southpaw. The 28-year-old then continued to fight in that stance for the remainder of the fight.
And it proved effective. Apart from a couple of flush right-hands in the 8th round, Jean was unable to nail Crawford with anything particularly clean or troubling. Crawford, already known as a highly competent switch-hitter, gradually began turning up the heat from the 4th round on, knowing he posed too many questions for a durable yet outclassed foe.
Jean managed to ride out some heavy storms in the rounds that followed, even climbing off the deck again in the 9th. The knockdown appeared to have resulted from a blow to the back of the head – but a replay revealed Jean was most likely on his way down anyway after being buzzed on the chin just prior.
Crawford applied yet more pressure, now ready to put in the exclamation mark finish. And it soon came after the hometown favorite blasted Jean, sending his wilting victim slumping into the ropes. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in at the right time, removing Jean from a fight he was in no position to continue, let alone win.
It’s doubtful a win over a fighter like Jean will do much for the stock or rankings of Crawford. Most boxing pundits predicted a one-sided win, and that’s exactly what happened tonight. But it was a solid victory, nonetheless. Crawford is deserving of all the praise and hype, without question.
But now a bigger test – perhaps a Viktor Postol? – is needed to make him a true marquee name of the sport. What do you think? Give us your take on Crawford vs Jean in the comments, plus the rest of the Omaha card.
