Terence Crawford defeats Canelo Álvarez, becoming king of the super middleweight division

Terence Crawford upset Canelo Álvarez for the super middleweight crown (168 pounds) in front of 70,482 fans, becoming the first undisputed male champ with four belts in three divisions. He said after the fight that people made too much of him coming up in weight (two divisions), and that he punched harder and was the bigger man.

Crawford, the southpaw with switch-hitting ability, strutted to the ring as mariachi from Desperado (1995) echoed through Allegiant Stadium, holding a guitar case, like the grim reaper on his way to collect his next victim. How he would handle power at 168 pounds was the biggest question before the fight, and the answer was that he never got hurt. He even stayed in the phone booth longer than expected, winning the exchanges against the favored Mexican pugilist. 

Both felt each other out early. Canelo stalked, trying to overwhelm with his pressure and power, but none of it fazed Crawford. The best shot by the former in the early rounds was a blow to the fleshy part of the body. The latter snuck in a left hook after the double jab. 

Crawford’s first real test was in round four, getting caught with two big right hands upstairs, taking it well. Then Crawford, who had a four-and-a-half-inch reach advantage, started stretching his control in round six as his jab became a bigger factor with seven touches. His best strike of that sequence was a sharp left hand, escaping the ropes and staggering Canelo. In between the next round, Canelo’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, was heard telling him to be more active. 

Then Canelo, who was getting mauled,  accidentally headbutted him in round nine and opened a cut that didn’t bleed, briefly pausing the fight. Action resumed, and Crawford’s progress continued as he outlanded him in power shots 22-9, per CompuBox. He said later at the press conference the cut would require stitches later.

Crawford’s game plan involved sticking on the move, but he also had moments, brawling in the middle. Yet the moments he was surgical was too much for Canelo. Crawford connected on a jab to the head that caused Canelo to briefly disengage from frustration in the 10th round, and it happened again in the 11th. On top of that, his uppercut landed and a combo broke the guard. He subsequently knocked his Mexican, frustrated foe off balance with some shots in the 12th.

The judges scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113.  

Crawford, on one knee, was overwhelmed with emotions. First he thanked god, called Canelo a great champion and said he didn’t know if it would be the last fight of his career. 

Canelo’s answer was ambiguous as it left the public uncertain if he wants a rematch. He later said at the press conference that Crawford is way better than Floyd Mayweather Jr., who defeated him in 2013.

Crawford later said, “Mean Machine hit harder than Canelo to me.”