Terence Crawford stops Yuriorkis Gamboa in nine round thriller

Terence Crawford stops Yuriorkis Gamboa in nine round thriller

WBO lightweight champion Terence Crawford retained his title in front of his hometown fans in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday night. Crawford overcame early difficulties to stop Yuriorkis Gamboa in the ninth round of their anticipated clash.

Gamboa caught Crawford early with his blazing speed and unorthodox punching but Crawford turned the momentum in the fifth round when he dropped Gamboa hard. Perhaps suffering from the effects of being out of the ring for 13 months, Crawford only continued pouring if on as the fight got deeper.

Crawford added three more knockdowns, including two in the ninth, before the referee stopped the fight. It was Crawford’s most emphatic win and a Fight of the Year candidate.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega