During a decade already deep with multiple contenders for best boxer of this era, the battle for the No. 1 pound-for-pound slot can sometimes feel like a revolving door based upon one’s most recent performance.
Terence Crawford has held the top spot before, most notably following his one-sided dismantling of Errol Spence Jr. in 2023 to become the four-belt, undisputed champion. But even with the recent success from his legendary contemporaries like Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue, it’s just short of impossible to deny “Bud” a return trip to the top of the mountain following last Saturday’s victory over Canelo Alvarez.
Just two weeks shy of turning 38, Crawford scored the most impressive and historical victory of his 42-fight career by moving up two weight classes to commandeer all four of Alvarez’s super middleweight world titles. Crawford didn’t just double down on his already impressive legacy by becoming the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three different weight classes, he likely succeeded Alvarez as the new face of boxing for as long as he remains active.
The best part about Crawford’s performance is that he didn’t just attempt to rely on the advantages he would bring up in weight with him, such as speed and slickness. Knowing he would need more than that to overcome such a legendary foe such as Alvarez, Crawford embarked essentially upon a two-year journey to systematically add size while carefully analyzing every part of Alvarez’s game.
For all of the talk about the size difference between them, it became clear fairly early that Crawford, who held advantages of one inch in height and nearly four inches in reach, wasn’t going to need to hide from Alvarez. With his body filled out from a muscular standpoint to a 168-pound frame, Crawford was able to make this matchup more about skill than anything else.
When he needed to outbox Alvarez, Crawford did so, opening the fight as a southpaw and never once returning to his default orthodox stance. But even more importantly, when it was time to stand and trade with the supposedly bigger puncher, Crawford was just as eager to accept the challenge as he was able to thrive in the close-quarters exchanges.
Crawford also stood firm in the face of Alvarez’s inevitable mid-fight rally, taking his opponent’s biggest punches without issue while proving to be the smarter, fresher and more dynamic fighter when it mattered most in the championship rounds to create just enough distance on the scorecards.
There was something magical about watching Crawford duck Alvarez’s power shots and counter with even bigger ones as the two stood directly
