LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Unbeaten Terence Crawford won his first fight of 2020 on Saturday by defending his World Boxing Organization welterweight title with a stunning fourth-round knockout of Kell Brook in Las Vegas.
American Crawford shook off ring rust from a long layoff due to the coronavirus epidemic with a statement victory over the former champion from England at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
Crawford beat Brook to the punch with a right jab that sent the challenger stumbling back into the ropes. He then finished him off moments later with a chopping right and a flurry of short lefts, prompting referee Tony Weeks to stop it at 1:14 of the round.
He is confident this victory will land him a fight with Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, who was the opponent he initially wanted but couldn’t meet because of the virus.
Crawford said the circumstances had now changed, and he would reopen talks with Bob Arum and Pacquiao for a fight in the Middle East, maybe Qatar, in the first half of next year.
”So now we can go back to the drawing board and try to revisit a fight with Manny Pacquiao,” he added.
Arum, who manages Pacquiao, said Saturday the fight is a real possibility, but didn’t go into details. He said previously it could be in March or April in Qatar.
”The money was there. The fight was going to take place in the Middle East,” Arum said.
”Then the minister of health said we can’t do it because we can’t guarantee that spectators would be allowed.
”Now they called us and said if Terence is successful, then we want to resume talks and see if we can do it in the spring.”
