The boxing world is no stranger to amazing matchups, and one of these matchups was recently held. The big bout between Terrance “Bud” Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Both exceptional fighters who are considered among the best of their generation, who each have a remarkable skill set, with amazing resumes and an undeniable drive to be the best they can possibly be.
This was the first time these two had faced off, and with the stakes being extremely high for both of the contestants. Canelo, the undisputed super middleweight champion entered the ring as the favorite due to his advantages in weight and height. He a;sp has conducted a dominant run through the division in recent years. Crawford who on the other hand was the fighter who stepped up to the challenge against Canelo after he has made a dominant reign at welterweight, and has already been able to conquer many divisions and has become the undisputed champion at 147lbs. While many have tried to speculate about how the outcome will come out, few have been able to predict how remarkable of a display this fight will be.
From the start of the opening bell it was very clear that Terrance Crawford was using his superior boxing IQ and his very tactical approach was key to his success. Crawford who is very known for his ability to constantly switch between the fighting styles of orthodox and southpaw. This kept Canelo having to guess throughout the fight what he would see. Crawford used footwork and exceptional ring analysis to gain control of the fight early, he stayed soft and swift on his feet and was able to dictate the pace of Canelo. Crawford’s ability to move in and out of Canelo’s distance was frustrating for canelo, this prevented the mexican star from being able to establish his power punching ryhtym.
Canelo has always been dangerous with his power and aggressions, he was aggressive from the start, trying to close the distance between him and Crawford and land these heavy blows. However, Crawford’s speed, lateral movement and defensive prowess allowed him to avoid the majority of Canelo’s attacks. Although Canelo did land some punches Crawford was able to keep it to a minimum and absorb these punches and move swiftly around the ring.
When talking to Saugus Student Anthony Guzman about the fight he said it was so entertaining, saying how this fight was led up to for so long and to be able to see some of the best fighters ever go the distance was peak television. He said he agreed with Crawford winning and although he preferred Canelo he was very happy to see an entertaining fight.
One of the most critical moments of the fight came around the middle rounds when Crawford was able to switch to southpaw and he caught Canelo with a devastating left hand that had rocked the previous champion. Canelo who has always been known for such an iron chin had recovered quickly but lost some of his momentum. Crawford has exceptional precision and his ability to strike at the perfect moment had kept Canelo on his back foot the whole time. This is an area we rarely see from Canelo. Crawford’s body work was exceptional and truly the key to his strategy of winning, and as he managed to slow Canelo’s relentless pace with well timed hooks and his misdirection.
As the rounds continued to progress it was very visible that Canelo was showing massive signs of frustration, he was unable to keep Crawford against the roped or cut him off effectively, these two strategies are Canelo’s strongest points. Crawford’s defensive movement mixed with his counterpunching ability made it nearly impossible for Canelo to even land a clean shot on Crawford.
Interview:cm
Towards the later rounds. Crawford began to take control over the fight that was undoubtedly noticeable. His rhythm was basically flawless and he was able to counter all of Canelo’s shorts with massive precision and was landing clean combinations that were visible hurting Canelo. And by the 10th round it was very clear that Canelo was indeed struggling to match Crawford’s pace and despite giving it his all Canelo was not able to land that knockout punch.
As the last bell ranch it was seen by all the fans what the decision would be. It was clear that Crawford had outboxed Canelo over those 12 rounds and he was consistently landing cleaner, sharper punches and controlling the tempo of the fight. The Judges scorecards had reflected Crawford’s dominance and with all three judges giving the fight in Crawford’s favor. It was utter dominance that showed Crawford’s skill. Although Canelo showed his grit and determination by staying competitive until the end it was very clear it was Crawford’s fight to win.
