8:36 p.m. ET: Yoenis Tellez set the tone for the night by scoring a third-round knockout over Sergio Garcia to improve to 6-0. The first knockdown came courtesy of a blistering right hand that badly hurt Garcia and was followed by another crushing right that put him on the canvas. Garcia was clearly in bad shape and could not defend himself from the violent assault that followed, giving Tellez the stoppage at the 2:02 mark.

Integral to the deal were the fighters' respective advisors. Haymon and Hinson, who have a long-standing relationship, worked together on the second and third heavyweight title fights between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

At the weigh-in, BoMac wore a T-shirt with Ice Cube’s likeness printed on the front. Perhaps he hoped that in 24 hours Crawford would embody Cube’s most famous anthem: "It Was a Good Day." Which is exactly what time is the crawford fight their team expected. Crawford’s close friend and camp member Bernard Davis said he had never seen the welterweight this primed, and he predicted a 10th-round knockout. Friends, of course, have said similar stuff before every fight ever held. But that was the vibe that Crawford oozed all week. Locked in fails to capture the full intensity.

Bakole's spot was initially set for Deontay Wilder, but the latter's devastating loss to Zhilei Zhang knocked him out of contention. Cuba's David Morrell Jr. (10-0, 9 KOs) will also try to remain undefeated while running his consecutive KO streak to eight when he faces Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) for the WBA "Regular" Light Heavyweight Title.

After a slow first round for both fighters, Crawford completely took over the fight. The first knockdown came off a counter jab followed by a left straight in the second round. To his credit, Spence beat the count and continued to try to make something happen, but Crawford was too fast, too technical and too powerful all night long.

If they split the two fights, a trilogy fight is overwhelmingly likely. And whoever comes out on top is expected to push for a shot at the undisputed junior middleweight championship, which is currently held by Jermell Charlo. Spence and Charlo both train in Dallas with Derrick James.

One such moment of trouble occurred 15 years ago when Crawford was shot in the face following a game of dice with friends just weeks after his fourth pro fight. He drove himself to the hospital. He recovered, welcoming his first child a few months later.

Porter did all the damage in this round. He was really aggressive and had moments of landing hard combinations, especially early on in the clinch. Crawford looked content to just let Porter wail on him. He did come on strong later in the round.

"I only dreamed of being a world champion," Crawford said. "I’m an over-achiever. Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, but I made everybody a believer. I want to thank Spence and his team because without him none of this would have been possible."

Terence Crawford is considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. However, after becoming the undisputed welterweight champion in 2023, "Bud" hasn’t entered the ring since. He returns to action attempting to win gold in another division when he faces WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3.

Since Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) captured the WBO welterweight title in his first fight at 147 pounds in June 2018, there have been calls for a summit meeting against Spence. For years, one impediment loomed large: rival promoters.

He certainly stakes a claim as the world's best fighter currently. But after 40 fights and 40 wins, 18 consecutive world title fights and the first male boxer to win undisputed titles in two weight classes, Crawford has a strong case for being the best fighter of his generation.

Vergil Ortiz Jr: Shortly before he defeated Serhii Bohachuck, Alashikh stated his desire to see Crawford face Vergil Ortiz, Jr with Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya on board with the plans. Ortiz fulfilled his end of the bargain in a fight of the year candidate that earned him the WBC interim junior middleweight belt.

The card then continues on DAZN and PPV.com at 6 p.m. ET for the six-fight main card. Heavyweights Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller clash in the co-main event. Terence Crawford, who is 40-0 in his legendary career, jumps up a division to square off with WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov in the main event. The schedule for this portion of the card can be seen below.

"I’m totally focused on staying at 135 pounds because it’s where I feel strongest and most comfortable," Cruz said. "I just want to give everyone watching a great show. I’ve made a connection with the fans because I showed that I’m not afraid to fight the best. I have no fear, just resolve."

His most recent major fight was his bout with Errol Spence Jr. in September 2019. Used his aggressive pressure style, he pushed Spence further than anyone else had, leading to the only split decision of Spence’ career. Porter should be more than a measuring stick for Crawford, but instead a real threat to take his title and spoil his undefeated record.