Crawford stops Postol, wants Pacquiao next

MANILA, Philippines – Terence Crawford made a strong case for himself for a megabuck showdown with Manny Pacquiao, defeating Viktor Postol in a lopsided fight on Sunday to unify the WBC and WBO super lightweight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Crawford scored two knockdowns in the fifth round and continued to hurt Postol with timely left straights throughout the fight.

He won with one-sided scores of 118-107 (twice) and 117-108. More importantly, he positioned himself for a possible crack at Pacquiao, who reportedly plans to return to the ring in November.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based fighter displayed superior movement, which, combined with his speed and southpaw stance, frustrated Postol throughout the bout.

Crawford used every inch of the ring to stay away from Postol and beat him to the punch.

“I watched him (Postol) and they said he had the best jab in the game – in the division. I proved different today,” he said after the fight.

Crawford was so far ahead in the 12th round that he put his arms down at his side at one point, taunting Postol.

Both fighters came into the bout with titles and records of 28-0. But Crawford was clearly the best technical fighter, despite giving away significant height and reach advantage to the Ukrainian.

“He [Crawford] was too fast. It surprised me,” said Postol, who interestingly had Pacquiao’s longtime trainer Freddie Roach in his corner Sunday.

Additionally, Postol served as a sparring partner for Pacquiao when the Filipino prepared for his clash with Chris Algieri in 2014.

Roach, for his part, liked what he saw in Crawford.

“He was just too fast for us. I’m impressed with his talent,” said Roach.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum earlier said the winner of the bout is a strong candidate for Pacquiao, who will reportedly fight again on November 5, also in Las Vegas. – AP