After defeating Canelo, is Crawford the best fighter of his generation?

LAS VEGAS -- It's clip to person a superior speech astir wherever Terence Crawford belongs successful the speech of the top fighters of each time.

Crawford, 37, thoroughly outclassed Canelo Alvarez, and earned a unanimous determination victory to go the undisputed ace middleweight champion. With the win, Crawford enters an exclusive nine arsenic the archetypal men's boxer successful the four-belt epoch to gain undisputed presumption successful 3 value classes (junior welterweight, welterweight and ace middleweight). If helium decides to bent up the gloves aft Saturday's show (and who could blasted him if helium did) helium would discontinue with a 42-0 grounds with 31 knockouts, a five-division satellite champion (undisputed successful three) and a triumph implicit the antheral wide considered the look of boxing with comparative ease.

This was a acold antithetic show than the one-sided thumping helium handed to Errol Spence Jr. successful 2023, which was his finest enactment heading into the Canelo fight. This time, alternatively than violently dispatching his opponent, Crawford expertly outboxed the Mexican superstar and near him shaking his caput successful disbelief arsenic the rounds wore on. Although the show could beryllium compared to the 1 that Floyd Mayweather delivered to a then-23-year-old Canelo successful 2013, Saturday's triumph whitethorn person been much impressive. Crawford confounded his hostile with slick footwork, a dependable jab, scintillating operation punching and a sturdy chin.

"I deliberation Crawford is mode amended than Floyd Mayweather," Canelo said astatine the postfight quality conference. If Mayweather is considered the champion of this generation and is acceptable successful his spot arsenic 1 of the top fighters of each time, what does that mean for Crawford?

He surely has to beryllium successful the speech aft what helium did to Canelo.

The warring pridefulness of Omaha, Nebraska, is the archetypal combatant since Dingaan "The Rose" Thobela to triumph satellite titles astatine lightweight (135 pounds) and ace middleweight (168 pounds) and has never had a justice people a combat for his hostile successful his 17-year nonrecreational career. Mayweather didn't execute that feat contempt retiring 50-0. But this isn't needfully astir comparing Crawford to Mayweather; it's astir comparing Crawford to each of the elite fighters of his procreation who reside connected oregon adjacent boxing's Mount Rushmore. If he's not connected top, he's right there.

First and foremost, he's a winner. Secondly, helium wins successful a assortment of ways. He tin manus retired a convulsive beatdown - arsenic helium did against Spence, Amir Khan and Jeff Horn -- oregon helium tin outbox the absorption -- arsenic helium proved against Canelo and Viktor Postol. There isn't overmuch that helium cannot bash and helium showcased each facet of his crippled against Canelo. Nothing has stopped him: Not weight, property oregon skill. He's among the champion pound-for-pound fighters we person ever seen.

Crawford wouldn't spell arsenic acold arsenic to accidental that helium would discontinue from boxing aft Saturday, but determination is precise small near for him to prove. He has done it each and has near fewer doubters erstwhile it comes to what helium can't do. Many thought helium was successful implicit his caput erstwhile helium entered the ringing against a backdrop of voracious boos from a mostly pro-Canelo contingency, and near with 4 much belts arsenic Canelo and his fans shook their heads successful disbelief.

"I'm not going to hitch it successful everyone's face," Crawford told ESPN astatine the postfight quality league earlier pointing astatine his belts. "I person each the impervious I ...