Is Terence Crawford “way better” than Floyd Mayweather?
Since Terence Crawford defeated “Canelo” Álvarez to take the Mexican’s belts, the debate has been raging. Is Crawford better than Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
After Terence “Bud” Crawford defeated Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez by unanimous decision and relieved the Mexican superstar of all four super middleweight titles, the comparisons began to swirl. Is Crawford better than Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
“I think Crawford is way better”
Only three fighters have ever beaten Canelo: Dmitry Bivol, Mayweather, and now Crawford. Interestingly, it was Álvarez himself who sparked the debate, stating after the fight: “I think Crawford is way better than Floyd Mayweather.”
Crawford accepted the praise but refused to engage in comparisons. When asked about Canelo’s comments, he responded: “Listen, Floyd was the greatest of his era and I’m the greatest of my era. There ain’t no need to compare.”
How do Crawford and Mayweather’s records compare?
Crawford’s record now stands at a pristine 42-0, with 31 wins by knockout. Saturday’s bout was undoubtedly the most significant of his career. In addition to Canelo, Crawford has defeated elite opponents such as Errol Spence Jr. (handing him his first loss), Egidijus Kavaliauskas, José Benavidez Jr., Julius Indongo, Viktor Postol, and Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Mayweather retired undefeated at 50-0, with 27 knockouts. His résumé includes victories over Canelo, Manny Pacquiao, Marcos Maidana, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Márquez, and Oscar De La Hoya - an all-time great lineup.
What do the experts say on Crawford vs Mayweather?
Max Kellerman, longtime boxing analyst and former ESPN commentator, believes Mayweather was strategic in choosing his opponents, while Crawford has consistently taken on all comers.
“Floyd picked and chose when he fought guys, especially once he left lightweight,” Kellerman said. “He wiped out the junior welterweights. Lightweight, he jumps up to José Luis Castillo - a lot of people think he lost the first fight, but then he won the rematch. But once he left lightweight, he was careful about when he fought guys.
“So even though his resumé is deeper, people remember, ‘Yeah, but he didn’t it with certain dudes at certain times.’ Crawford, we all witnessed: even though the resumé is thin in certain ways, he wanted it with everyone the whole time.”
Meanwhile, former world champion Shane Mosley told FightHub: “I think Crawford is better […] and I would say Crawford is a better all-round fighter. Mayweather’s really good too, though. You can’t knock him, he’s very talented. It would have been a tough fight, but I think Crawford would’ve had the edge over Mayweather, because of his long arms and because he’s bigger.”
Shakur Stevenson, a rising star and another a former world champion, also weighed in during an interview with Ariel Helwani. “I see what Canelo is saying‚” Stevenson said. ”I think he’s probably mesmerized by how strong ‘Bud’ Crawford was that night. I think he realized that if he made one mistake, he could have got hurt in that fight.”
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