Terence Crawford UD 12 Canelo Alvarez

This Bud’s for you! 

The event was as big as it gets. Step aside HBO, ESPN, DAZN, Netflix has got this one covered. Undefeated American Terence “Bud” Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) going up against superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs).

Promoted by Saudi Arabia’s new boxing power player Turki Al-Sheikh and Riyadh Season, with the UFC’s Dana White on board, the bout had literally everyone in boxing descending into Las Vegas for this one at Allegiant Stadium.

The question was could the fight live up to the hype of the event? 

“Bud” Crawford brought a great skill set, an undefeated record and a lot of the talent to the dance. What he didn’t bring was natural size.  

Alvarez, a strong, hard-punching mega-star who fights more economically than Crawford but looks to unload hard and fast when he goes on the offence.

Angles, boxing skills and defence vs. a vastly (perhaps different, but equally gifted) fighter who is much bigger. The big question was, ‘did size matter’? My late father used to say that when the skills are equal, usually the good big man beats the good smaller man.  

Going into the fight both fighters exuded confidence, nothing new in the sport, and it was hard not to believe both fighters. They didn’t seem to be spewing the usual pre-fight braggadocio, both fighters truly believed they had this one in the bank. 

In the pre-fight build up, Canelo was relaxed and expressed that he had nothing to worry about saying, “I am not worried about this guy. He will see it is different when he gets in there with me”, he said. “Look who he has fought; name one elite fighter”.

Crawford, always cool and confident, spat back, “So when I beat you are they going to say you wasn’t elite”.

While most people respected both fighters, with Crawford undefeated and Canelo’s

only losses being to legend Floyd Mayweather Jr., and a bigger Dmitrii Bivol, the one question that seemed to narrate everything was, ‘could Bud outbox Canelo?’ and ‘could Canelo impose his size on Crawford?’.

Despite Crawford claiming that he “would be the bigger fighter on fight night”, most people didn’t see him as a natural 168-pounder. And, despite Canelo writing off Crawford as a “great fighter” but someone who “will realize it is different in there with me”, many saw Bud’s boxing skills as something that could truly hamper Canelo’s offense.

Folks - this was going to be a fun one!

Main Event

In the highly anticipated main event, and certainly one of the biggest fights in a long time, it was Terence “Bud” Crawford who came out on top. While there were many who felt he was simply too small for the powerful Alvarez, there were many who thought Bud could use his masterful boxing skills to beat him; and he did just that.

While Canelo stalked Crawford for the much of the bout, Crawford used great movement and a strong, long jab to keep Canelo at bay. When Canelo did step in he was met with 2 and 4 punch combinations.

Canelo did land his hard counter right throughout the fight but Crawford showed no signs of having any problems handling the hard shots at the new weight.

In the end, skills pay the bills and Crawford was the more skilled on this great night of boxing in front of over 70,000 fans (a new indoor record).

“Bud” impressed the judges enough to earn scores of 116-112 and 115-113 twice, all for Crawford, now 42-0, 31 KOs and undisputed super middleweight champion. Canelo falls to 63-3-2, 39 KOs.

Asked after the fight at the press conference what was his “definition of greatness”, Crawford responded - “you’re lookin’ at him”.

Under card

Super welterweight Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 Kos) UD 10 Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-1, 15 KOs)

Super middleweights Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) D 12 Lester Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) - WBC Interim super middleweight title (Mbilli retains title) 

Super welter Brandon Adams (26-4, 16 KOs) UD 10 Serhii Bohacuk (26-3, 24 KOs)

Jermain Franklin Jr. (24-2, 15 KOs)14 KOs) UD 10 Ivan Dychko (15-1, 14 KOs)

Featherweight Reito Tsutsumi (3-0, 1 KO) TKO 1 Javier Martinez (7-3-0)  

Lightweight Sultan Almohammed (1-0) UD 4 Martin Caraballo (0-1-1)

Light heavyweight Raiko Santana (13-4, 7 KOs) TKO 1 Steven Nelson (20-2, 16 KOs)

Marco Verde (3-0, 2 KOs) TKO 4 Sona Akale (9-4, 4 KOs)