Terence Crawford made history on Saturday night in Las Vegas, outpointing Canelo Álvarez by unanimous decision to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion of the world. Before a record crowd of 70,482 at Allegiant Stadium, the 37-year-old Crawford moved up two weight classes to hand the Mexican superstar only the third defeat of his career. The judges scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113, all for Crawford, who improves to 42-0 with 31 knockouts.
Already the first man of the four-belt era to unify titles in two weight classes, Crawford now adds a third, an achievement without precedent in modern boxing. Having captured world titles in four divisions, he has now added a fifth at 168lb. The victory elevates him from generational talent into the all-time realm of legendary weight-jumpers such as Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, Roberto Durán and Manny Pacquiao.
The opening rounds were a high-level chess match, but by the middle rounds Crawford began dictating the rhythm. The sixth round marked a turning point as Crawford stood his ground, landing sharp left hands and swelling the area under Álvarez's right eye. The American grew bolder, befuddling his opponent with lateral movement and out-landing the defending champion. Álvarez had moments, especially to the body, but never found a second gear. By the ninth round he was visibly frustrated, lunging with single shots while Crawford picked him off with combinations.
In the championship rounds, Crawford was in total command, firing three-punch flurries and even trading in the pocket without hesitation. After the fight, Crawford said: 'Canelo is a great champion. I’ve got to take my hat off to him. He fought like a champion today.' For Álvarez, 35, it was a sobering night. He falls to 63-3-2, his first loss since being outpointed by Dmitry Bivol in 2022.
The event set a Las Vegas attendance record, with a crowd more than double the previous mark. Millions watched on Netflix, which streamed the card at no extra cost to subscribers, marking a shift from the traditional pay-per-view model. The fight was also the debut of Dana White's Zuffa Boxing under TKO Holdings, backed by investment from Saudi sports magnate Turki al-Sheikh.
