Mexican Independence Day weekend was the occasion that brought Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence “Bud” Crawford superfight to Allegiant Stadium, but it was Crawford who etched his face onto American boxing’s Mt. Rushmore with a remarkable unanimous decision victory.
Crawford defeated Canelo 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 on the cards, but even those scores paint a picture that the fight was much more competitive than it was in reality.
By moving up an unprecedented two weight classes to beat a heavily favored Canelo at his native weight of 168 lbs, the idea that Crawford hadn’t faced a worthy crop of fighters in his career was put to rest. On a holiday that has become synonymous with Canelo in a city that’s essentially the beloved fighter’s second home, Crawford controlled the pace like a maestro.
Save for an early feel-out period in the first round and the moments in which he took his foot off the gas in the later rounds, Crawford had little problem controlling the pace without sacrificing his signature power. He unleashed explosive flurries in the fourth, sixth and ninth rounds, putting Canelo in a precarious position while effectively taking his passionate fans out of the fight.
The biggest concern for Crawford entering the fight was whether the added weight would slow him and tire him in the later rounds, but the advantage over Canelo was stark in the speed department and the fatigue issue never arose.
I predicted earlier in the week that Crawford would build an early enough advantage on the cards to coast toward the finish late, which is largely what occurred.
With an unscathed 42-0-0 record that now includes the distinction of becoming the first undisputed three-division world champion in boxing’s modern history, the discussion regarding Crawford can’t simply stop at his candidacy as a first ballot Hall of Famer. The reality is that his resume now presents a much more compelling argument among the other hypothetical members of this hypothetical Mt. Rushmore.
Crawford’s career didn’t come with the celebrity of Floyd Mayweather’s or the cultural stature of Muhammad Ali’s. His career may not have carried the historic significance of Sugar Ray Robinson’s or the must-see demand that followed Tyson’s, but he does have favorable arguments in comparison to each of those fighters, aside from Mayweather, when discussing how gracefully he has aged.
When asked how he compares to Mayweather specifically, Crawford kept it simple.
“Floyd’s the greatest of his generation, I’m the greatest of mine,” Crawford said. “Ain’t no need to compare me to Floyd.”
The reality is, the accomplishments that came with Crawford’s win on Saturday elevated his legacy in a way that a single fight or event rarely elevates an athlete’s entire body of work. If you’ve never heard of Henry Armstrong, he was the last boxer at any point in the sport’s history to win an undisputed title in three different weight classes. In 1938. 87 years ago.
If I had to find one spot for Crawford on the American boxing Mt. Rushmore, I would argue he could replace Tyson. The peaks of Tyson’s career certainly eclipse Crawford’s, but he never won a professional fight beyond Crawford’s current age and he spent three years of his prime in prison. Based on Crawford’s effort on Saturday, it seems like he could even go 3-5 more years.
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