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Terence Crawford became WBO Welterweight Champion four years ago today, on June 9, 2018.
'Bud' was fresh off becoming the Unifed Light Welterweight Champion by defeating Julius Indongo in August 2017. Following the victory, he decided it was time to move up and try and claim another title. He quickly set his sights on Jeff Horn.
The Australian captured the WBO welterweight strap with a controversial decision victory over Manny Pacquiao in July 2017. He followed up the victory with a knockout win over Gary Corcoran in December of that year. With both men coming undefeated, fans had high expectations for their matchup.
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The bout was set June 9, 2018, at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas. While fans might've had high expectations going in, it was a one-sided affair with 'Bud' making quick work of 'The Hornet'.
While Horn did his best to get inside and make the fight rough, he was unable to. Crawford decided to pick the Australian apart from range and landed massive shots at will throughout the contest. The bout came to an end in round nine, as the Nebraska-native closed the show with blistering combinations.
The victory saw Crawford become the WBO Welterweight Champion, a title that he still holds today. On the other end, Horn has failed to entirely recover from the 2018 defeat. He's gone 2-2 since the loss and hasn't fought since 2020.
Watch Terence Crawford defeat Jeff Horn in the video below:
Terence Crawford's WBO Welterweight Title reign
Terence Crawford's WBO Welterweight Title reign began back in 2018 with a destructive win over Jeff Horn. His subsequent title defenses have unfolded in a similar way.
Following his win over 'The Hornet', he picked up a knockout victory over Jose Benavidez Jr. Once a hyped-up prospect, the brother of David Benavidez stood no chance against Crawford. 'Bud' was then matched up with former champion Amir Khan.
Crawford dominated the former champion as well, before following up with a victory over Egidijus Kavaliauskas. The Nebraska-native then matched up with another knockout victory over a former champion as he finished Kell Brook in November 2020.
Crawford's most recent title defense was against Shawn Porter in November 2021. The bout was easily the biggest test of his career, but Crawford prevailed once again, winning by TKO.
The 34-year-old's title reign has been one for the history books, and there's still more to come. Crawford is expected to face fellow champion Errol Spence Jr. later this year.
