Terence Crawford ran one of the best shows in modern boxing and he beat Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas on points to become the first male fighter in history to hold all the undisputed titles in three different weight divisions.
Before 70,000 spectators at Allegiant Stadium, most of whom were ardent supporters of Alvarez, Crawford accomplished a ‘tactical masterclass‘ which is a term used in chess. The 37-year-old American who went up two weight classes, was very well-mannered with his sharp counterpunching, tight defense, and perfect timing, so some fans found themselves silenced and what he did was not less than a defining career win.
The judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113 in favour of Crawford. In an atmosphere full of tears and hugs, the undefeated hero sank to the floor as the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and IBF super-middleweight titles were presented to him. “It’s not a matter of coincidence. I worked very hard to get here, that’s for sure,” said Crawford, however, still not dismissing the possibility of calling it a day after his record goes up to 42-0.
It was his 3rd defeat in 68 fights, 35 years old Alvarez, only brutally torn apart by tragedy on Mexican Independence Day weekend, although dumbfound with the greatness of Crawford, he still did not fall. “The history is there, and I love facing difficult challenges,” Alvarez commented.
Crawford’s triumph marked him as one of the best pound for pound and next to none in the whole boxing history.