Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford makes history with victory over Canelo Alvarez
LAS VEGAS: Terence Crawford became the first male boxer to capture three unified division titles when he defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision on Saturday night to win the super middleweight championship before an announced record crowd of 70,482. Two judges awarded Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) the match 115-113 and the third 116-112. The Associated Press scored the fight 118-110 in favor of the 37-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska. Crawford, who moved up two weight classes, went down to a knee even before the decision was announced and then wept after he was named the winner. He won before a pro-Alvarez crowd, but there were significant chants of “Crawford” in the bout’s later rounds, and even Canelo backers didn’t try to boo them down. This was the first defeat for Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 knockouts), the 35-year-old champion from Mexico, since losing by unanimous decision to Dmitrii Bivol on May, 7, 2022. This fight already was being compared with some of the greatest in Las Vegas’ rich history well before the two contestants tapped gloves. The setting of Allegiant Stadium itself separated this bout because it was the first match at this venue.