Terence Crawford vowed all along that he would “shock the world”.
“This fight is going to be stamped in the history books,” he said earlier in the week.
“Anybody can be a nobody, and from what everybody’s been saying, I haven’t fought nobody.”
How about now?
How about after the American sensationally made boxing history, upsetting Canelo Alvarez to claim his undisputed super middleweight world title and become the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in three different categories.
It was a decisive unanimous decision victory (116-112, 115-113 x2) too for Crawford, who is now unbeaten with a record of 42-0 and previously claimed all four belts on offer at super lightweight and welterweight.
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But despite that the 37-year-old American stepped into the ring at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, an underdog against Mexican great Alvarez.
Alvarez was also a four-division champ and the only fighter to claim a four-belt undisputed title at super middleweight — first in 2021 and again in May when he beat IBF champion William Scull by a unanimous points decision in Riyadh.
While many expected Alvarez’s power to prove too much, instead it was a masterclass from Crawford who rarely looked troubled as he put on a boxing clinic.
The victory put Crawford in rarefied air and gives him the chance to retire one of the greatest fighters to ever do it. So, will this be his final fight?
“Like I said before, I don’t know,” Crawford said.
“I’ll sit down with my team and talk about it.”
The classy American went on to pay credit to Alvarez, calling him a “great champion” who he has “nothing but respect for” and that went both ways with the Mexican describing Crawford as a “great fighter”.
“I’m a winner for being here. There is no defeat here. I take risks and that’s what I have done,” he said after the loss.
“I feel great to share the ring with great fighters like him. If we do it again it will be great. I already accomplished a lot in boxing and my legacy is already there, so I take risks because I like boxing.
“I feel great, I feel strong. Crawford is a great fighter, a skill fighter and I have to give the credit to him.”
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