Terence Crawford made history by defeating Canelo to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion, yet despite claiming all four of Alvarez’s belts, he made a curious decision to give them back. But why?
The moment occurred Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium on September 13 as the fighter nicknamed Bud stunned fans and the boxing world by returning the titles to his opponent in a gesture of respect.
Crawford and Alvarez faced off in a grueling 10-round battle for the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF super-middleweight titles but it was the 37-year-old American, moving up two weight divisions, who secured the win.
He claimed a unanimous decision with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113, making him the first boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed champion in three separate weight classes.
After the fight, Alvarez appeared visibly emotional in the locker room, embracing his wife and daughter. Yet his respect for Crawford remained evident, particularly during the press conference and it turns out the feeling is mutual.
As Canelo acknowledged Crawford‘s talent, even remarking that he is superior to Floyd Mayweather Jr., another opponent he had faced and lost to, Terence extended gesture of returning the Mexican’s belts.
“Those are his titles,” Crawford said on The Pat McAfee Show afterwards. “It’s all respect.
“I got a lot, a ton of respect for Canelo. I’m a fan of Canelo… I wanted to be the one to give him back his belts.”
Although he is no longer champion, Alvarez will retain the titles in official records and reportedly has new belts being created and Crawford’s gesture was widely praised as an extraordinary display of sportsmanship.
Crawford drops retirement hint after Canelo win
Crawford’s victory was not just historic but also a masterclass in strategy and skill. In front of 70,000 spectators in Las Vegas, he demonstrated precision and composure, controlling the pace of the fight and securing the decision convincingly.
Reflecting on the fight, Crawford acknowledged Alvarez’s caliber and also hinted he could finally step away from the sport after achieving the biggest night of his career and a hefty payday to boot.
“I’m not here by coincidence,” Crawford said. “Canelo is a great champion. I have to take my hat off to him, he’s a strong competitor and I have nothing but respect for him. He fought like a champion. “
“I don’t know [of retirement], I’ve got to sit down with my team and we’re going to talk about it. I just want to say thank you to all of the supporters, thank you to all the haters, I appreciate every one of you all. You made this a great event.”
Alvarez, meanwhile, maintained a humble perspective despite the defeat, emphasizing his enduring passion for the sport, indicating no plans for the Canelo name to disappear from the ring.
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