Crawford KOs Molina, wants Pacquiao next

MAHA—Unbeaten world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford stopped John Molina in the eighth round to end a dominating performance and a dominating year.

Crawford retained his WBO and WBC junior welterweight titles. Molina didn’t make the 140-pound weight Friday, and had Crawford been upset, the titles would have been vacated.

Backed by a hometown crowd of 11,270 at CenturyLink Center, Crawford was fighting for the third time this year and first since his lopsided win over former WBC champ Viktor Postol in Las Vegas last summer. In the fight before that, he knocked out Hank Lundy in New York. Now Crawford is poised to be named fighter of the year for a second time in three years.

Crawford was in control all the way and finished off Molina moments after Molina raised his hands as if to ask for more as the champion landed a flurry of punches. A shot to the midsection backed Molina into the neutral corner, and Crawford then unloaded repeated shots to the head and body, causing Molina to go down. Referee Mark Nelson stepped in to stop the fight at the 2:32 mark.

The 29-year-old Crawford (30-0, 21 knockouts) came out in an orthodox stance but quickly switched to southpaw. Molina was on defense early, with Crawford landing a left to the head and then a right that staggered him. Molina walked into a right to the head in the second.

Crawford continues to hold out hope that he gets a shot at Manny Pacquiao before Pacquiao retires.

“Yeah, I’d like to fight him. I’m not chasing him,” Crawford said. “We’re ready to fight anybody.” (AP)