Terence “Bud” Crawford etched his name into boxing history Saturday night, defeating Saul “Canelo” Alvarez by unanimous decision in front of a sold-out crowd of 70,482 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. With the victory, Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) became the first male boxer to win undisputed titles in three different divisions in the four-belt era. Two judges scored the bout 115-113 for Crawford, while the third had it 116-112. Moving up 14 pounds and two weight classes to face one of the sport’s most dominant champions, the Omaha native stunned the boxing world by dethroning the face of the super middleweight division.
The first half of the fight was closely contested, with Canelo landing heavy body shots and a powerful right hand in Round 4 that briefly shifted momentum his way. Crawford responded in Round 6 with a sharp hook that staggered Alvarez and turned the tide. From that moment on, Crawford’s speed, footwork, and southpaw jab dictated the action as Canelo struggled to cut off the ring. By the championship rounds, Crawford was landing crisp combinations while avoiding Canelo’s biggest shots, sweeping the final two rounds to secure the win.
“My coaches told me to stay southpaw,” Crawford explained after the fight. “They said, ‘Your jab is going to kill him. His feet are too slow. Just keep turning him.’ And that’s what we did.” The win was especially meaningful for Crawford, who has long felt overlooked in the sport. “A lot of people doubted me for years. They said I couldn’t sell, that I didn’t have a personality, that I hadn’t fought anybody. Tonight, it all came to a halt.”
Canelo, who dropped to 63-3-2 with the loss, praised Crawford’s skill and expressed interest in a rematch. Crawford, 38, was non-committal about his future, saying he will sit down with his team before deciding whether to fight again. Whether he chooses to defend his new titles, drop back down to middleweight, or retire at the pinnacle of the sport, Crawford’s victory over Canelo was a masterclass performance that solidified his place as the pound-for-pound king and one of the greatest fighters in boxing history.
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