Terence Crawford unleashed one of the “most vicious body shots ever” to leave his rival wincing in pain during a knockout and become undisputed king.

Terence Crawford delivered a shocking body shot that took him to undisputed glory.

Crawford is considered one of boxing’s leading pound-for-pound stars today and has reigned as undisputed champion in two weight classes.

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The American’s strong rise to prominence culminated in the creation of a piece of history, when he challenged Julius Indongo for all four belts at 140 pounds.

“Bud” held the unified WBC and WBO titles and was given a huge opportunity to become the first to hold all four belts in the division.

He entered the competition as favorite given his scintillating form, which saw him improve to 31-0 as a professional before the clash.

But what he delivered that night was utter brilliance, as he began to move towards Indongo from the opening bell.

It was in the second round that his first breakthrough came when he sent his rival to the canvas for the first time after landing a sharp straight left hand to the head.

The Namibian managed to get back up resiliently after a five count, but his days seemed numbered despite surviving the round.

In the third period, Indongo surprisingly came out of the traps and started the offense, but Crawford was stalling.

The champion-elect then blasted a hard-hitting left hook to Indongo’s body, before catching a short right hand that glanced across the chest and sent him sprawling to the canvas.

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His fellow unified champion grimaced in pain and opted to stay down, with the referee reaching the count of ten and stopping the fight.

Crawford etched his name in the history books under the brightest lights and showed exactly the punching power he had to offer.

He explained the brutal knockout in his post-fight interview: “We knew the body was going to be cut open, given that he was swinging so wildly.

“We felt like we could catch him in the middle of his shots. That’s what we worked on in the gym.”

Indongo added: “When he hit me, it hurt a lot. When he hit me like that, my mind disappeared.

He refused to rest on his laurels after the victory and tried to solidify his dominance at a higher weight of 147 pounds.

Then there was an immediate challenge for Jeff Horn’s WBO welterweight world title on the outside that same year, which ended in another brutal stoppage.

He then made six successful defenses in a row against some dominant contenders, including British stars Amir Khan and Kell Brook.

In the background, talk simmered about a showdown with bitter rival Errol Spence, which finally came to fruition for all four belts at 147 pounds in July 2023.

And he won his second “undisputed status” in equally dominant fashion, breaking the previously undefeated fighter before stopping him in the ninth round.

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Crawford dropped Spence three times during the clash and proved exactly why he should be considered one of the greatest fighters of the era.

At the age of 36, many achievements still await Crawford who clearly has no doubt that anything is possible.

He will next try his luck at becoming a four-weight world champion, moving up to 154 pounds to fight Israil Madrimov.

It is unclear whether his plan is to try to go undisputed in the third division, with potential clashes against Sebastien Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev in store.

But a key priority for the fighters legacy may well be moving up to 168 pounds and challenging undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.

It would be a huge mega-fight, one that would likely net the superstar a record payday.

Canelo was initially a closed book regarding the fight, but has since opened the door amid interest from Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.

It would be a tough battle for Crawford if he were to challenge the Mexican given their notable size difference.

But his coach Brian McIntyre believes it could be a final salute for his career before putting down the gloves.

He said: “Bud has the courage (to defeat Canelo). I can see him doing it.

“Is it a challenge for him? Of course. Is it a challenge for the whole team?

“Of course, but that’s what we’re here for, to be great.

“I know Bud has the tools to beat him. If Bud beats Canelo, we might be on the verge of retirement, if you beat the pound-for-pound king. But my mind is on Madrimov.”

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