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Terence Crawford beats Viktor Postol, is Manny Pacquiao next?

Terence Crawford poses with his belts after his unanimous decision victory over Viktor Postol. (Getty Images)
Terence Crawford poses with his belts after his victory over Viktor Postol. (Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – The anticipated super fight between the world’s two best 140-pounders never materialized on Saturday.

Terence Crawford was simply far too good for Viktor Postol.

As Floyd Mayweather would say, it was easy work for the budding superstar from Omaha, Neb. He was faster, more accurate, hit harder and controlled the bout from start to finish to add Postol’s WBC belt to his collection.

Crawford now has the WBO and WBC super lightweight belts and possibly a Nov. 5 date with Manny Pacquiao if the Filipino senator decides to fight again.

Judges scored the bout 118-107, 118-107 and 117-108 for Crawford, who improved to 29-0 and clearly stamped himself as one of the best fighters in the world. Yahoo Sports scored it 119-106 for Crawford, giving him the last 11 rounds.

He knocked Postol down twice in the fifth and stunned him several other times. It wasn’t an action-packed fight by any means, but Crawford, who fought mostly out of a southpaw stance, never allowed Postol to get off.

“He’s a dangerous fighter, but he has to be set to fight,” Crawford trainer Brian McIntyre said. “The game plan was to keep his legs moving and that took away his jab and it also took away his right hand.”

A triumphant Crawford said, “That’s boxing. That’s what boxing is all about.”

He’s improved each time out since he went to Scotland in 2014 to rout Ricky Burns to collect his first world title. He’s shown something new each time out and looked as good as he ever has Saturday before 7,027 fans at the MGM Grand Garden.

“He was just too fast for us,” Postol trainer Freddie Roach said. “I was surprised how fast and how good he was. I’m very impressed with his talent.”

Postol came in filled with confidence after winning the WBC belt in October by making Lucas Matthysse quit in Carson, Calif.

Terence Crawford throws a punch at Viktor Postol. (Getty Images)
Terence Crawford throws a punch at Viktor Postol. (Getty Images)

That win raised Postol’s record to 28-0 and, given his height and range, made many believe he could give Crawford a tough fight.

It wasn’t to be, however, as Crawford did just about everything correctly. Even Postol conceded Crawford had too much of everything for him.

“I thought it was a good fight between two good technicians, but he was quicker than me,” Postol said. “He’s one of the best fighters in the world. I just didn’t have the answers tonight.”

A natural right-hander, Crawford fought in a conventional stance for only about the first 20 or 30 seconds of the fight. He was southpaw the rest of the way, a tactic he said took away Postol’s jab and also limited the right hands Postol threw.

There were openings, but Postol kept his right hand cocked and mostly in the holster, fearful, seemingly, of the stinging shots that came in return.

The fight was even after four rounds on all three judges’ cards, but it was obvious Crawford was able to figure him out. After the fourth, Postol landed next to nothing of consequence.

“I knew everything I was going to do from there on,” Crawford said. “I caught my rhythm [around the fourth], and I knew what I was going to do from there to the end. He’s the type of fighter who has to be set to punch. I just kept his feet and kept him off balance.”

Promoter Bob Arum said the winner of Saturday’s fight, as well as WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, are the two finalists for a fight with Pacquiao should Pacquiao choose to fight in November.

Crawford said he would only do the bout at 140, which Roach and Pacquiao have said he can make but which he hasn’t made for a long time.

Crawford is at the stage where his speed and boxing ability will create problems for Pacquiao. Pacquiao. Arum, though, declined to discuss the likelihood.

But Crawford is a special fighter who will pose problems for anyone in and around his weight class. He’s quick, understands how to walk his opponents into shots, makes adjustments on the fly and has sneaky power.

He’s not the biggest puncher, but he has enough snap that he was able to stun Postol several times. Postol went down first early in the fifth when it appeared his legs got tangled, but the second knockdown came after a crushing left hand.

He added a little showboating in the 12th, sticking out his tongue, raising his arms and taunting Postol. At one point, Postol urged him to fight and Crawford landed a blistering combination.

“He told me ‘C’mon, let’s go,’ So that’s what I did,” Crawford said.

If Crawford doesn’t fight Pacquiao, there doesn’t seem to be anyone in his division who can give him a run. He may be forced to look outside the class or just go about racking up a string of title defenses.

“I feel like I show something different every time,” Crawford said. “I’m getting better, I’m getting wiser, I’m getting more knowledgeable. I fight every fight like it’s my last.”

If that was his last on Saturday, he left everyone with quite the memory.