Unbeaten Crawford stops Diaz to retain boxing crowns

Unbeaten American Terence Crawford kept his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization junior welterweight titles Saturday by stopping Dominican southpaw Felix Diaz after 10 rounds. Crawford improved to 31-0 with his 22nd victory inside the distance while Diaz fell to 19-2 in the feature at Madison Square Garden. Crawford, who went southpaw stance the entire fight, scored with solid lefts and combinations while using right jabs to keep Diaz at bay. "I do what I want in there. It's my ring," Crawford said of his southpaw switch. "That's what I wanted to do." The Dominican challenger was rocked by a left hook to the head in the eighth round and another early in the ninth as Crawford dominated, tapping the 2008 Beijing Olympic champion on the head in the 10th to embarrass him before Diaz's cornermen stopped the bout after the round. "It's a fight. You can't be nice in there. You've got to be mean in there," Crawford said. Crawford, who has won five of his past six fights inside the distance, called out Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao after the triumph but indicated he was also up for a unification showdown with undefeated rival champion Julius Indongo. "Pacquiao. That's the only fight out there we're really looking for," Crawford said. "If not that, Indongo. He came to my fight. I'm ready to go with anybody." Namibian southpaw Indongo, 22-0 with 11 knockouts, decisioned Britain's Ricky Burns last month in Glasgow for the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association crowns and a fight with Crawford would create an undisputed champion in the 140-pound division.