Crawford becomes the undisputed super middleweight champion after defeating Alvarez
Terence Crawford became the undisputed super middleweight champion on Saturday after defeating Saul “Canelo” Alvarez via majority decision at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Crawford set the tone early on with a calm performance that highlighted his amazing hand speed and deft footwork, and the judges gave the American the victory 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113.
Crawford became the first male boxer to go undefeated in three different weight divisions after the victory.
“I’m not just here by accident. I must give Canelo a lot of credit because he is an amazing champion. I greatly admire him and think he’s a fantastic competitor. “He fought like a champion,” Crawford said, sobbing after his victory was declared.
“I’ll have to sit down with my team and we’ll talk about it,” he replied when asked if he would fight again.
“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported and opposed me. Thanks to all of you. A special thanks to my supporters and Canelo’s backers. We get to bring our kids home.”
Both Alvarez and Crawford had previously been regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, so the bout was always sure to be a master lesson in boxing.
The 12-round exhibition was watched with anticipation by millions of Netflix subscribers and over 70,000 spectators thanks to the pair’s thrilling encounter.
In preparation for the fight, Crawford, a four-division world champion and previous undisputed light- and welterweight champion, moved up two weight divisions.
At the weigh-in on Friday, he weighed precisely the same as Alvarez, a career-high 167.5 pounds (75.98 kg), but his increased weight did not seem to have an impact on his agility.
Act of Balancing
Crawford, who was the stronger fighter for the majority of the fight and was acutely conscious of his opponent’s superior strength, skillfully neutralized Alvarez’s offense with a devious balancing act.
The 37-year-old kept his distance while flitting in and out of danger and hitting his opponent with a barrage of blows. Alvarez was disadvantaged by the smaller boxer’s attritional attack.
Early on, the Mexican champion made a few body shots, but after losing the first half to an opponent who was outboxed, he lost all sense of caution and retaliated with force in an attempt to knock out the opponent.
The knockout never materialized.
If anything, Crawford’s confidence only increased as he continued to maintain his incredible unbeaten streak and improved his record to 42-0 (31 KOs) by landing powerful combinations and taking punches that managed to get past his defense.
Despite the loss, Alvarez felt proud.
“Just by being here, I’ve won. I’m a winner just by virtue of being here. “I take chances, and I did that,” the 35-year-old remarked.
Having a great fighter like him in the ring makes me feel fantastic. It will be fantastic if we do it once more. I’ve already achieved a great deal in boxing. Because I love boxing, I like taking chances, and my legacy is already established.”
Callum Walsh of Ireland defeated Fernando Vargas Jr. on the undercard, and Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez, super middleweights, engaged in a slugfest that finished in a draw.
