Canelo vs Crawford: The 10 Key Fights of Their Careers

Canelo vs. Crawford: A Clash of Titans in Boxing

On September 13th, the boxing world will be paralyzed when two of the best pugilists of today, Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford, face each other. The eagerly awaited fight will define who is the best pound for pound, after six years of competition for the coveted position in the ranking. Crawford, WBA champion in the super welterweight category, will boldly move up two weight classes to challenge Canelo, who has been the highest-earning boxer for the last decade. Despite Canelo’s appeal, he will face an opponent who is currently better positioned on the pound-for-pound list. Crawford, with a record of 41-0 and 31 KOs, has been less active, fighting only once a year since 2020. His most recent fight was a decision victory over Israil Madrimov in August 2024. If Crawford, 37, manages to defeat Canelo, 35, he would become the only boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed champion in three weight categories, solidifying his status as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers. For Canelo (63-3-3, 39 KOs), a victory over Crawford could propel him to rise from his current position at number 8.

Detailed Analysis of Canelo and Crawford’s Trajectories

Here, an analysis of the most outstanding performances of both boxers, including their best victories by KO, their most dominant fights, those where they faced difficulties, and the most important fight of their careers.

Canelo’s Best Performance: Unanimous Decision Victory against Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin

September 17, 2022 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

In the last fight of the trilogy against Golovkin, Canelo proved to be the clear winner, although the fight was not as exciting as the first two. This victory is possibly the most significant in Canelo’s career, as it allowed him to close the trilogy perfectly, after his defeat by decision against Dmitry Bivol.

“Everyone knows this is high category. This is the best boxer in boxing. Everyone knows who Canelo is,” Golovkin said after the fight. “This fight is more tactical. Today, Canelo is better. Congratulations to Canelo.”

Gennadiy Golovkin

This victory put an end to the controversies over the draw in 2017 and the majority decision in favor of Canelo in 2018 in their first two fights.

Crawford’s Best Performance: TKO in the Ninth Round against Errol Spence Jr.

July 29, 2023 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

Crawford delivered a masterclass, knocking down his rival three times and achieving a technical knockout victory in the ninth round. Crawford controlled Spence with his counter-punching, sending him to the canvas in the second round and again in the seventh. Crawford, with impressive speed and defense, established himself as the best in the welterweight category.

Canelo’s Best KO: KO in the Eleventh Round against Sergey Kovalev

November 2, 2019 – MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

Canelo showed his class, patiently waiting for the right moment to attack. With a left hook, Canelo weakened Kovalev, and then sent him to the canvas with a right hand. This victory, in which Canelo moved up two weight divisions, allowed him to become champion in a fourth weight category.

Crawford’s Best KO: TKO in the Ninth Round against Yuriorkis Gamboa

June 28, 2014 – CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska

In his first defense of the world title, Crawford stopped Gamboa in the ninth round. Gamboa showed courage and aggression, which turned this fight into an intense battle. Crawford landed a right uppercut that knocked Gamboa down, securing the victory by KO.

Canelo’s Most Important Fight: Split Draw against Gennadiy Golovkin

September 16, 2017 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Although this fight generated criticism for Canelo, it pushed him to improve his performances. The controversial split draw motivated Canelo to win two more fights against Golovkin and conquer two weight divisions. In the first fight, Canelo didn’t engage enough, and Golovkin failed to land the clean punches that had knocked out 33 of his previous 37 opponents. Canelo tried to counter Golovkin, who was the aggressor and more active. Canelo was affected by the public’s reaction to the first fight, which included boos from some of his own fans. This led him to improve his game in the rematch a year later, winning with scores of 115-113 twice, and a third judge scoring a 114-114 draw.

Crawford’s Most Important Fight: Unanimous Decision Victory against Ricky Burns

March 1, 2014 – SEC Centre, Glasgow, Scotland

Crawford arrived in Glasgow to challenge Burns for the WBO lightweight title, with a reputation for talent, but was still relatively unknown. Crawford dominated from the fourth round, winning with scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 116-112, while Burns suffered his first defeat in 10 world title fights in front of a crowd of 10,000 fans. Crawford was in excellent form in his first world title fight. He secured a victory that would propel a career that has seen him win world titles in four weight classes. The fight with Burns was the starting point for Crawford’s career.

Canelo’s Most Dominant Victory: TKO in the Eighth Round Against Billy Joe Saunders

May 8, 2021 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas A right uppercut in the eighth round closed Saunders’ right eye and caused enough damage for his corner to stop the fight before the ninth round. This victory allowed Álvarez to add the WBO title to his WBC and WBA super-middleweight belts.

DAZN Boxing post

Crawford’s Most Dominant Victory: TKO in the Sixth Round Against Amir Khan

April 20, 2019 – Madison Square Garden, New York Crawford dominated from the first round, sending Khan to the canvas in the first round. Crawford combined power, speed, and cunning in the ring, reading Khan’s jab. In six rounds, Crawford matched the feat of Álvarez, who had also defeated Kahn in six rounds three years earlier.

Canelo’s Most Disappointing Performance: Unanimous Decision Victory against William Scull

May 3, 2025 – ANB Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Canelo’s most disappointing performance came in a fight he won comfortably. This was an unexciting bout, as Álvarez cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Scull. Álvarez threw 152 punches, the second-lowest total in a 12-round fight in the company’s history.

Crawford’s Most Disappointing Performance: Unanimous Decision Victory against Israil Madrimov

August 3, 2024 – BMO Stadium, Los Angeles

Crawford earned unanimous scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113 to become a four-division champion. Despite the victory, Crawford sounded disappointed. It was the first time Crawford went the distance since Viktor Postol took him to 12 rounds in July 2016.