At the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford defeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to become the undisputed super middleweight champion. The victory was historic for the American, but what surprised most after the fight was the Mexican fighter’s statement: “I think Crawford is much better than Floyd Mayweather”.
Respect in defeat
Far from excuses, Canelo acknowledged the quality of his opponent after the unanimous decision defeat. “I tried my best, but I couldn’t find his style. Sometimes you try and your body doesn’t respond,” he confessed. Even with the frustration, he did not hesitate to praise the champion: “Crawford is a great fighter, he knows how to move, he is very complete.”
Crawford’s response
The American, who scored his most iconic victory after climbing two divisions, returned the respect. “Canelo is a great champion, a strong competitor. I’m a fan of him and today he fought like a champion,” he said. On the comparisons, he was blunt: “Floyd was the best of his era. I am the best of mine. There is no need to compare us.”Crawford revealed that from the sixth round on, he felt he had to step up the pressure to control the fight. “I felt I was in control, but I decided to step it up a little bit more. From there everything changed,” he said. The fighter even downplayed Canelo’s punching power by stating: “I’ve been hit harder. Kavaliauskas, for example, hits harder than him.”
A legacy assured
With the victory, Crawford became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed in three divisions, something only Henry Armstrong had achieved in 1938. For fans and analysts, Canelo’s words marked an unexpected moment: to acknowledge that Crawford surpassed in his view the man who once beat him, Floyd Mayweather.
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