Terence Crawford stuns Canelo Alvarez with masterful performance — PHOTOS
Saturday was billed as a historic night with a record-breaking crowd and global streaming audience tuned in for UFC president Dana White’s debut as a boxing promoter for the first combat sports card at Allegiant Stadium.
It became a coronation for an all-time great, as Terence Crawford staked his claim as the best boxer of his generation with a masterful performance to take the undisputed super middleweight title from Canelo Alvarez with a unanimous decision.
“It means a lot to me because anybody can beat a nobody, and that’s all they’ve been saying I’ve been fighting is nobodies,” said Crawford, who called it the signature win of his career. “What can they say now?”
Crawford (42-0) is now the first male fighter to hold all of the world titles at three weight classes in his career.
He accomplished the feat by using his jab and elite counter-punching ability to keep Alvarez (63-3-2) from unleashing his power, leaving the former champion visibly frustrated.
Crawford won 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 on the scorecards.
“(I knew I would win) as soon as he signed the contract,” the underdog Crawford said. “When I set my sights on doing something and I know what I’m capable of, it’s not a surprise to me. It’s a surprise to you all because you don’t believe in me.
“I think I was just the better man tonight.”
Perhaps one of the best of all time, at least according to Alvarez, who has fought two of the men on that short list.
“I think Crawford is way better than Floyd Mayweather,” he said.
Big business
The debut boxing event at Allegiant Stadium drew a crowd of 70,482, shattering the state record at a boxing match set in 1982 when Larry Holmes fought Gerry Cooney in a temporary outdoor arena at Caesars Palace.
It’s the largest crowd to attend any sporting event at Allegiant Stadium and set the venue’s single-day live gate record by pulling in $47,231,887. Only the 2015 fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao ($72.2 million) and the 2017 fight between Mayweather and UFC star Conor McGregor ($55.4 million) brought in more.
The event was a smashing success at the box office for White’s first foray into the sport, and when the final numbers from Netflix are released, it’s expected to be the most-watched live boxing event since the 1978 rematch between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks on network TV.
White, who also attended Saturday’s UFC event in San Antonio, was thrilled with the success.
“First, (UFC Noche) was sold out with a $3.5 million gate and delivered in every way possible,” he said. “Then we broke the gate and attendance records at Allegiant Stadium. Netflix numbers were absolutely massive, but I will let them release those. It was an incredible weekend for our company and a great weekend for the city. We brought over 70,000 people to the city this weekend. I’m tired of all the (expletive) Las Vegas is hurting talk. Tonight was incredible.”
It was an even more impressive night for Crawford, who spent the early portion of the fight on his back foot expertly countering Alvarez with a pinpoint jab to banking rounds as Alvarez tried to work the body to wear him down.
Both fighters started to come alive in the fourth round when Crawford’s best flurries of the fight seemed to energize Alvarez, who landed some big power shots to answer.
It wasn’t enough.
“We knew Crawford was a great fighter,” said Alvarez, who vowed to continue his career. “I did what I was supposed to do. I tried really hard, and he deserves all the credit. I tried my best tonight. I just couldn’t figure out the style.”
Crawford, who was moving up three weight classes from where he last held the undisputed belts, settled back into the fight until the ninth round when Alvarez appeared to feel the urgency and turned up the intensity.
But Crawford was undaunted and resumed his clinic, closing out the victory by getting even more aggressive in the championship rounds.
The victory was the crowning achievement on a career that has seen Crawford called the most skilled boxer in the world, but one who lagged behind at the box office and was often shut out of major fights and headlining spots.
“Great things come to those who wait,” he said. “The cream always rises to the top. All the time they blocked me out and said I wouldn’t fight anybody, can’t beat this dude or that dude, every time I got the chance, I wiped the floor with them. Imagine where I’d be today if I had got those opportunities.
“But I’m happy with the way it all worked out, and you’re looking at the undisputed champion of the world right now.”
Walsh wins unanimous decision
In the co-main event, Callum Walsh remained unbeaten and claimed the WBC Continental Americas light middleweight belt by handing Fernando Vargas Jr. the first loss of his pro career in a largely pedestrian bout.
Walsh (15-0) controlled nearly every round against Vargas (17-1), but never threatened a stoppage as the 24-year-old rising star cruised to the win on by far the biggest stage of his career.
“I’ve been fighting since I was 6 years old, and to be here in this event is such an honor,” he said. “To fight in front of this many people was insane.
“It was an unbelievable experience. It was amazing. This whole week couldn’t have been better, and I think I’ll take a lot away from it. I’ll only grow massively from this.”
Christian M’billi (29-0-1) retained the WBC interim super middleweight title with a spilt draw against Lester Martinez (19-0-1) in an entertaining bout on the main card.
M’billi could have positioned himself to have a legitimate claim for a shot at Crawford with an impressive victory, but Martinez withstood his best shots and delivered plenty of his own.
Middleweight Brandon Adams (26-4) upset top contender Serhii Bohachuk (26-3) for the second time in his career in the featured preliminary bout.
Adams ended Bohachuk’s undefeated run with a stunning knockout in 2021, then spoiled his shot at redemption with a unanimous decision Saturday despite being nearly a +400 underdog.
Also, rising Saudi Arabian star Mohammed Alakel (6-0) earned a unanimous decision over Travis Kent Crawford (7-5) in his first fight outside his home country.
Kent Crawford, 22, announced before the fight he would retire regardless of the outcome to begin basic training for the Army this month.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
