Terence Crawford is now the undisputed champion of the world for a third time in his career. And he did so by outclassing the widely regarded face of boxing in Canelo Alvarez in their superfight on Sunday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to win the latter’s IBF, WBA (Super), WBC, and WBO titles (as well as The Ring super middleweight title).
An underdog coming in, Crawford quickly asserted himself against Alvarez, using his trademark precise punching, speed, and ring savvy to outbox and outpunch the Mexican great in the first three rounds. But the four-division kingpin responded like the champion that he is, turning the tide in the fourth and fifth rounds with strong right hands to the five-division titleholder.
Crawford reasserted control in the middle rounds starting in the sixth by going back to the formula he used in the first three rounds: plenty of movement with precise punching. Neither man, though, gave an inch, with Alvarez pressing forward even with Crawford repeatedly beating him to the punch whenever he tried to get inside.
Terence Crawford Shows Mettle in Championship Rounds
With the fight still hanging in the balance heading into the championship rounds, Terence Crawford turned things up a notch, raising his activity level to pepper Alvarez with hard shots well into the final bell. In the end, Crawford did enough in the eyes of the judges, who gave him the win via unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 115-113).
“You know, I gotta take my hat off to him. He’s a strong competitor. You know, like I said before, I got nothing but respect for Canelo,” Crawford told boxing analyst Max Kellerman in the post-match interview inside the ring. “I’m a big fan of Canelo, and he fought like a champion today.”
That respect is well-warranted, indeed. Alvarez, as usual, fought tough and hard, taking Crawford’s best shots and firing plenty of his own—even when the American was beating him to the punch repeatedly. He kept pressing forward searching for and loading up that killer right that never quite found the elusive Crawford.
“I’ve done a lot of things professionally. I trained very well. I gave all my respect to Crawford,” Alvarez said in his own post-match interview with Kellerman. “I did what I had to do. And, in the end, to answer your question, I’m here to take risks. I came to life to take risks.”
What’s in Store for Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez
While Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez seem to be at the top of their game, they still are 37 and 35, respectively, and that means it’s fair to ask what’s in store for both fighters. And after the biggest fight of their respective careers, both Crawford and Alvarez appear to have some pondering to do as far as what the future holds.
Crawford, for his part, told Kellerman that he will sit down with his team to talk about what’s next for his career, while Alvarez underscored that his “legacy” is already there and that he is still “taking risks because I love boxing.” He also noted that he feels great and strong even after losing a superfight with Crawford.
Whatever the future holds, Alvarez is right about his legacy—and the same thing could be said about Crawford. But at present, Terence Crawford is now the king of the 168-pound division after a boxing masterclass against a fellow elite fighter in Alvarez.
