They said he couldn’t do it until he did it. Again.
Terence “Bud” Crawford showed the world that size means nothing when class and skill take centre stage. On Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the American masterfully outboxed Mexican superstar Canelo Álvarez, winning by unanimous decision to become the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.
The judges scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113.
With the victory, Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed in three different weight divisions. He achieved it in front of 70,000 mostly pro-Canelo fans and millions more watching the Netflix live stream.
Crawford, who turns 38 in two weeks, took the bold leap from 154 pounds up to 168 pounds to dethrone boxing’s biggest name. Already a world champion across four divisions, including undisputed reigns at junior welterweight and welterweight, the jump was seen as almost impossible. He proved otherwise.
“I told you I’m not here by chance. God blessed me with this night,” Crawford said afterwards.
Despite the official scorecards being close, Crawford appeared comfortably ahead throughout. He outlanded Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) 115-99 in total punches and 45-16 in jabs. Time and again, Canelo was left swinging at shadows, looking as confused as he once did in his 2013 loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The defining moment came in Round 11 when Crawford flicked a jab that forced Álvarez to stumble back, shaking his head in disbelief.
Heading into the fight, the size difference dominated the conversation. Both fighters weighed in at 76kg (167.5 pounds), but most expected Álvarez’s natural power at super middleweight to overwhelm Crawford. That did not happen.
“I’m already a winner for being here,” Álvarez said after the fight. “I’ve done everything in my career and I take risks. Tonight was no different.”
But it was Crawford who took the real gamble by moving up two divisions to challenge Canelo, and he made it look like a masterstroke.
His performance was compared to his brutal 2023 dismantling of Errol Spence Jr. While less violent, it was every bit as dominant. Using slick movement, a sharp jab and clever combinations, Crawford dictated the pace from start to finish.
Álvarez had moments to the body, but he never found a way to trap Crawford. By Round 7, the American even chose to stand in the pocket and trade, and still came out on top.
When the final bell rang, many Canelo fans were already heading for the exits. Those who stayed booed Crawford at first, but even they could not deny his brilliance, with some applauding him by the end.
Asked about retirement, Crawford was not ready to commit.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll sit down with my team and we’ll talk about it.”
If this was his last fight, South Africans and the world will debate where to place Terence Crawford among boxing’s all-time greats. One thing is certain. He already belongs in rarefied company.
Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
