The highly anticipated battle between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford for the undisputed super middleweight championship took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This mega-fight captivated boxing fans worldwide, with Crawford emerging victorious over Alvarez by unanimous decision.
Terence Crawford
Fighters' Backgrounds
Canelo Alvarez, a celebrated Mexican fighter, entered the ring with a record of 63-2-2. Alvarez has secured victories against formidable champions such as Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. His only two losses were against Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol.
Terence Crawford, hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, boasted an undefeated record of 41-0. Crawford's resume includes wins against Shawn Porter and Errol Spence, both former welterweight champions.
Pre-Fight Predictions and Odds
Prior to the fight, Canelo Alvarez was favored by oddsmakers. However, some experts believed that Terence Crawford could defy the odds and secure a victory despite moving up in weight.
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Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson predicted Terence Crawford to win by decision. Additionally, a boxing fan placed a significant $2 million bet on Terence Crawford to beat Canelo Alvarez.
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Canelo Alvarez | -165 |
| Terence Crawford | +130 |
Fight Overview
Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) dethroned Saul "Canelo" Alvarez of his undisputed super middleweight titles by unanimous decision on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 70,482 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Two judges scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Crawford, while a third scorecard read 116-112, also for the Omaha native. Uncrowned's unofficial scorecard had Crawford a 115-113 winner.
Crawford was already the first male boxer to win undisputed titles in two weight classes in the four-belt era, and on Saturday, he became the first to win undisputed titles in three different divisions. The American great jumped up 14 pounds and two divisions for his historic victory over the face of boxing, Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs).
TERENCE CRAWFORD ACHIEVES GREATNESS! Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford | FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
"I told y'all, I'm not here just by coincidence," Crawford said post-fight. "God blessed me. He made this event, and he made this night just for me. I've been telling y'all that."
Crawford, a skilled switch-hitter, fought the contest entirely out of the southpaw stance. Alvarez's early attacks were targeted at the midsection, while Crawford established his jab and had success with combination punching and counter left hands. Alvarez switched levels effectively to disguise his shots in the early stages of the bout.
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Alvarez landed the first impactful power punch in Round 4 when he pushed Crawford's head back with a right hand. Crawford took that shot - and many others landed by "Canelo" - well. Alvarez's power didn't seem to affect Crawford too much at any stage in the fight, despite Alvarez being the naturally bigger man.
The fight was nip-and-tuck for the first four rounds. Alvarez had the stronger of the fifth round, and it was in that frame that the Mexican started to gain momentum. Crawford, realizing this, came out strong in the sixth round, which turned out to be the pivotal moment in the fight.
After landing with some shots on the inside, Crawford connected with a hard hook on Alvarez's chin, which pushed him back and earned Alvarez's respect.
"Of course," Crawford said when asked if he knew he had to reassert himself in Round 6 and stop Canelo's momentum. "Canelo is a great champion. I've got to take my hat off to him. He's a strong competitor. Like I've said before, I got nothing but respect for Canelo. I'm a big fan of Canelo, and he fought like a champion today."
Alvarez continued to stay in the fight, but the biggest moments came from the new undisputed champion. Crawford landed a brilliant combination early in Round 9 and was even forced to fight through a cut over his right eye after an accidental clash of heads midway through the round.
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Crawford then picked up Rounds 11 and 12 on Uncrowned's scorecard to win the fight. In the 11th round the pair exchanged for much of the first minute, with Crawford getting through with the cleaner shots. Crawford continued to land with combinations throughout the final two rounds and, for the first time in the fight, was content trading heavy shots with Alvarez, clearly comfortable with the power coming back at him.
Canelo Alvarez
Round-by-Round Breakdown
Rounds 1-4
The final minute of the three-minute round saw both fighters let their hands go, and both landed solid punches. Canelo landed a strong right and a body blow that may have given him the round.
Crawford was quicker and did good work in the second round. Canelo was looking to counter Crawford.
Canelo trying to slow Crawford down with body shots. Crawford managing distance well. Technical fight so far. Scoring this one could be in favor of either fighter.
Crawford outworking Canelo, doing good job of neutralizing Alvarez' offense, but Alvarez landed hard right in last 40 seconds of round. I have Crawford up 39-37.
Rounds 5-8
Still a very technical fight, both fighters showing each other respect. I give Canelo the fifth.
Crawford responds in sixth with good work. Redness around Alvarez' right eye. Canelo must be more active. Round to Crawford.
Crawford looks stronger as fight moves on. Canelo can't hurt Crawford. Crawford has come to win.
Better round for Canelo, hard round to score. I believe Crawford pulls it out late.
Rounds 9-12
A fast and furious round. Crawford looks really good at 168, very strong and still has speed. Crawford wins round.
Canelo with better round, but Crawford taking power punches well. Canelo wins round. Two more left.
Crawford is one round away from possibly winning. Competitive round goes to Crawford.
Crawford closes the fight with good effort, I think he wins it. Let's see what judges say.
Official Scores
Crawford wins by scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112. He is now the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.
Crawford is now 42-0, Alvarez is 63-3-2, Alvarez has lost all three fights in his career by decision.
Expert Opinions
Steve Collins (Boxing legend): I'm a Canelo fan, I think he's got the talent to win. Some people think he might be overlooking Crawford, underestimating Crawford. Crawford is a very good fighter and Crawford has the ability to beat Canelo.
Amir Khan (Former world champion): I do lean more towards Crawford in this fight because he's the fresher fighter. He hasn't been in too many wars, like Canelo's been in.
What the Fighters Said
Terence Crawford: "Canelo is a great champion. I've got to take my hat off to him. He's a strong competitor. Like I've said before, I got nothing but respect for Canelo. I'm a big fan of Canelo, and he fought like a champion today."
Canelo Alvarez: "Crawford is a great fighter, a skilled fighter. And I give the credit to Crawford, obviously."
Full Card Results
Main Card
- Undisputed super middleweight championship: Terence Crawford def. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez via unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 115-113)
- Super welterweight: Callum Walsh def. Fernando Vargas Jr. via unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 100-90)
- Super middleweight: Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez declared split decision draw 97-93 Martinez, 96-94 Mbilli, and 95-95 DRAW
- Super featherweight: Mohammed Alakel def. Travis Crawford via unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 98-92)
Prelims
- 156-pound catchweight: Brandon Adams def. Serhii Bohachuk via unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 98-92)
- Heavyweight: Jermaine Franklin Jr. def. Ivan Dychko via unanimous decision (97-92, 96-93, 95-94)
- Super featherweight: Reito Tsutsumi def. Javier Martinez via first-round TKO
- Super lightweight: Sultan Almohamed def. Martin Caraballo via unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
- Light heavyweight: Raiko Santana def. Steven Nelson via first-round TKO
- Super middleweight: Marco Verde def. Marcos Osorio-Betancourt via fourth-round TKO