Terence Crawford etched his name in boxing history and pulled off the biggest win of his career with a unanimous decision victory over Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The boxing megafight didn’t disappoint as a spectacle. The two stars set a new attendance record for Allegiant stadium.
Crawford came in as an underdog but set a competitive tone early. He used his speed and length to earn Canelo’s respect in the first few rounds.
Canelo came firing back and was able to land some clean counters. However, Crawford was able to answer any questions about his ability to absorb shots from his opponent.
Crawford’s speed stood out as a difference-maker in the fight. Alvarez continued to move forward while Bud was able to consistently land combos on the move.
Canelo refused to go quietly as the fight transitioned to the later rounds. He came out swinging in Round 9 even when it opened the door for more Crawford combinations.
Even so, Crawford was able to find the gas he needed to finish the fight strong and put on the finishing touches to a masterful performance. There was no shortage of credit given to the 37-year-old for his showing.
With the win Crawford becomes the first male fighter in the four-belt era to be an undisputed champion across three weight divisions.
The fact that the final jump included a 21-pound jump from the last division he was an undisputed champion to take on one of the sport’s biggest stars at 168 pounds only makes the achievement even more unbelievable.
Crawford should be given credit for even entertaining a fight with Canelo. Given the size disparity, there were multiple proposed opponents for his consideration, but he was determined to take a crack at the superstar.
“Boots is not a megafight,” he said, per Mark Kriegel of ESPN. “Vergil Ortiz is not a megafight. This is the tail end of my career. They’re going to say, ‘You were supposed to win.’ I want Canelo Alvarez.”
Crawford’s skills—and his belief in those skills—have now taken his impressive career to new heights. The Nebraska native has obviously been among the best fighters of his era, but he hasn’t always gotten the same recognition as the biggest stars.
That should change moving forward.
As Crawford noted, there probably aren’t many more fights. The 37-year-old is now 42-0 in his career with little left to prove. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to either see him run this one back or chase another megafight to ride the momentum of an incredible performance.
