Mayweather or Crawford? Canelo delivers his verdict
The Mexican lost his undisputed super middleweight title to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas at the weekend.
“I’m the face of boxing now,” declared Terence Crawford (42-0-0, 31 KOs) after dethroning Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) in Las Vegas this past Saturday. The undefeated American claimed a unanimous-decision victory, seizing Canelo’s undisputed super middleweight crown. Before Crawford, only two fighters had managed to beat the Mexican icon: Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. But Crawford didn’t just win - he dominated.
“I think Crawford is way better than Floyd Mayweather,” Álvarez said during the post-fight press conference, where he embraced “Bud” and exchanged mutual respect. Canelo’s first career loss came at the hands of Mayweather when he was just 23. That fight cost him his light welterweight title and his unbeaten record.
Mayweather also a winner on Saturday
Like Mayweather, Crawford employed a masterful strategy: hit and don’t get hit. But what made Crawford’s performance even more remarkable was his leap up two weight classes to challenge Álvarez in a division where the Mexican had long been established. Despite Canelo’s relentless forward pressure, Crawford’s ring IQ and technical brilliance allowed him to control the fight. His game plan worked to perfection - and in Canelo’s eyes, it surpassed Mayweather’s. Notably, Mayweather had wagered nearly €50,000 on Crawford to win.
Can Canelo bounce back?
For the first time in seven years, Canelo wakes up without a world title. In 2018, he avenged his draw against Gennady Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs), capturing the WBC and WBA middleweight belts. Since then, he had always held gold - across divisions and sanctioning bodies, Canelo was a constant champion.
Crawford ended that streak. Álvarez is already talking about a rematch, determined to reclaim his titles. Retirement, however, is not on his mind.
“I’ve already won”
“I’m incredibly proud of everything I’ve achieved so far,” Canelo shared on social media. “Of course, you always want to win, but I accept this defeat with humility and as a learning experience. I’m deeply grateful to my team for all the sacrifices we’ve made together over the years. I’ve already won - because I have my family by my side and millions of fans who’ve never stopped supporting me.”
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