Can Terence Crawford Beat Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez in Their Prime?

When you find yourself at the pinnacle of modern boxing, you invariably draw parallels with the greats of the last generation. It’s the position that Terence Crawford finds himself in at the moment. Doubts, applause, criticism, and shunned comments follow in a heated debate. Has he taken on the tag of the best modern welterweight since Floyd Mayweather Jr. left the scene? Has he what it takes to triumph over the face of boxing, Canelo Alvarez, a fight he desperately chases? These are the questions that cloud a boxing fan’s imagination.

These have plagued the fans’ minds ever since the Omaha native dismantled Errol Spence Jr. with ease last year and cemented his legacy as an undisputed champion in two different weight classes. Interestingly, ‘Money’ Mayweather was just hanging his gloves up when Crawford moved up to the division. Had he delayed his retirement a year later, the fans might have witnessed the two clash. But would ‘Bud’ have taken Mayweather Jr. down? It first depends on which version of Mayweather Jr. we are pitting him against.

Terence Crawford vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: clash of welterweight stars

You could dissect Mayweather Jr.’s career into two halves, the first when he brought aggression and fight into the ring. And the second, when he racked up fame and tightened up his defense, fighting primarily on his back foot, rolling his shoulders, and content with collecting decision wins with relative ease. It was about his undefeated record, after all. The Michigan native had a solid, tight defense, which would have run counter to Crawford’s power and quick pair of hands. It would have been a classic bout, a style showdown.

Let’s talk about their size and skills first. You look at Crawford, 36, and you see why he would rip apart Mayweather Jr. with his taller frame, reach, and size advantage. At least on the paper. However, his hypothetical opponent has been elusive, honing his defensive skills to a near-perfect level. While Crawford bags the size and reach advantage with the ability to impose his will on the smaller but smarter rival, Mayweather Jr. has the better skillset to hit and not get hit, even against towering foes. That’s the mantra that stood up whenever ‘Money’ Mayweather fought inside the ring.

Mayweather Jr. tended to feel the fight initially and then pick apart anyone who stood across from him as the rounds progressed. But what if the 50-0 record holder’s stamina fizzles out in the middle rounds? Could he evade 10 or 12 rounds against the boxer, who is relentless, and packs a power, especially at close quarters? Whichever side you pick, either a hungry fighter with power, quick footwork, and a swift pair of hands, or a boxer with impenetrable defensive skills, you would leave home watching the two world-class fighters go for the kill.

Will you let your recency bias clog your judgment, or will you put your faith in a boxer who has the experience and has done it against fighters of all sizes and styles? If the Omaha native produced a flawless night, where he could hit and tear down Mayweather Jr., you could see him taking the win home. But is it happening? Mayweather Jr. wouldn’t let it happen, would he?

‘Bud’ vs. Canelo Alvarez: A misfit-fight but an explosive one

What separates Crawford, at 40-0, from the crop of modern fighters? It’s his explosive yet unpredictable style, where he manages to switch up stances from southpaw to orthodox or from orthodox to southpaw, the minute he senses his opponent has him figured out. You throw into the mix his impeccable defense and a high ring IQ, you have a fighter you will find it hard to deal with in the ring. What bugs his competitors the most is his ability to mold himself and adapt according to whatever his rivals are throwing. So, where does Canelo Alvarez find himself?

The Mexican champion has the skills, experience, and ability to land clean shots. You can sense a running theme here, don’t you? But you need to be careful with him in the ring, as he also had knockout power with his combinations before his hand injury slowed him down a bit. You could sit and heap praise on his ring generalship and his unusual skill of breaking down opponents with his devastating body shots. It’s something that Crawford has found troubling in his fights. In addition, the latter’s most effective weapon, his counters, runs the risk of getting negated because of the 34-year-old champion’s ring generalship. And when you take into consideration the prime Canelo Alvarez, the champion who was devouring the top-ranked fighters, you face an uphill battle.

Many continue to argue that Mayweather Jr. wouldn’t have beaten the 61-2-2 record holder if he were not young. Does Crawford stand a chance against the prime Alvarez? When you factor in the disparity in weight categories, Alvarez’s size, strength, and excellent conditioning, and more importantly, the super middleweight champion being the kryptonite to Crawford’s style, the task seems somewhere on the impossible side. Will Crawford’s aggression, speed, and unpredictable boxing style have been enough to tackle Alvarez’s technical style with splendid counterpunching and brilliant head movement? The odds might be very low. But stranger things have happened in boxing.

What do you make of these hypothetical fights involving Terence Crawford? Do you believe he would have gone toe-to-toe with these giants in their prime? Let us know in the comments below.