A Modern Day Masterclass From Terence Crawford Sees “Bud” Score A UD Win Over Canelo Alvarez
We should have listened to Terence Crawford all along when he said he would not only defeat Canelo Alvarez, but that he would also send the Mexican star’s fans home in tears. Because tonight in Las Vegas, 37 year old Crawford put on a superb boxing display, one you could easily refer to as a masterclass.
In outboxing Canelo, in standing his ground and both trading with Canelo and out-landing him, in hurting Canelo more than the bigger, so-called stronger man ever hurt him, and in making Canelo miss, “Bud” was truly the ring general in there tonight.
Crawford’s Masterclass in the Ring
It was a somewhat close fight – as the 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112 scores read – but there was no doubt who the better man was. Crawford, now a perfect 42-0(31) gave Canelo “Mayweather flashbacks,” this as he had his fellow pound-for-pounder frustrated, stung, out of ideas, and beaten.
Canelo, now 39-3-2(39) will have some serious thinking to do when it comes to what he will do next.
It was a joy to watch Crawford boxing, superbly, out of the southpaw stance. Crawford went to work tonight. The challenger, going for history up at 168 pounds, was razor sharp, his ring IQ was ever so admirable, and whenever Canelo did get through with a solid shot, to the body mostly, Crawford didn’t go anywhere. At all. In fact, Crawford, smiling as he was, seemed to be enjoying himself in the ring in Las Vegas.
Canelo’s Struggles and What Comes Next
Canelo turned away at times, in the later rounds especially, he gave ground, and Canelo looked to be feeling sorry for himself. Strange then as it was, that Canelo said post-fight that he “felt great.” Canelo didn’t fight like a true great tonight. Where was the urgency, this when Canelo must have known he was losing? Where was the ability to cut off the ring, to make it his, bigger man fight?
Canelo couldn’t answer these questions and others.
By comparison, Terence Crawford made it his fight, and he looked every bit a great, great fighter in doing so.
Who knows what might come next for either warrior.
But as of today, it’s either Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue, or Oleksandr Usyk who deserves to sit at the top of the pound-for-pound pile.