Crawford and Inoue Shine on Boxing Weekend
The boxing world witnessed stellar performances this weekend, with three of the best pound-for-pound fighters in action. Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue, and Canelo Álvarez starred in fights that kept fans on the edge of their seats.Crawford Makes History Against Canelo
Terence Crawford, ranked among the best pound-for-pound boxers, defied expectations by moving up two weight divisions to face Canelo Álvarez at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Crawford, demonstrating superior technique, outboxed Canelo to become the undisputed 168-pound champion.
Crawford added four more belts to his collection, solidifying himself as the first boxer in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed champion status in three weight classes (super lightweight, welterweight, and super middleweight).Inoue maintains his dominance in Japan
In Nagoya, Japan, Naoya Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Inoue, known as “The Monster”, demonstrated his superiority by defeating Akhmadaliev.
Akhmadaliev, who was expected to pose a challenge to Inoue, was outmatched in every aspect of the fight by an opponent who displayed superior technique.We analyze the most important fights of the weekend and rate the performance of the winners and losers.Saturday Report
Terence Crawford: A+Crawford’s performance could have been even more impressive than his victory against Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023. Crawford demonstrated his versatility and dominance, overcoming a significant size disadvantage. He utilized his wide range of skills, including exceptional footwork, an effective jab, and great stamina, to destabilize Canelo and completely control him. Crawford, competing on the verge of turning 38, showed very few weaknesses, solidifying his place among the best boxers of this generation.Canelo Álvarez: B-Canelo was outmatched by Crawford. Although the scorecards reflected a closer fight, Canelo received a boxing lesson. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t connect effective combinations or control the pace of the fight. Crawford, demonstrating a superior strategy, outmaneuvered him in skill and strategy.Christian Mbilli: BMbilli, with a strategy based on constant pressure, achieved a split draw in an exciting fight against Lester Martinez.Lester Martinez: B+Martinez showed great resilience and made effective adjustments that allowed him to counter Mbilli’s pressure.Sunday Report
Naoya Inoue: AInoue dominated Akhmadaliev with intelligence and technique, retaining his undisputed super bantamweight titles. He avoided Akhmadaliev’s punches and landed powerful body shots, wearing down his opponent. Inoue showed that he doesn’t need a knockout to dominate, outclassing Akhmadaliev in every aspect of the fight.Murodjon Akhmadaliev: D+Akhmadaliev couldn’t counter Inoue’s speed and technique. His counter-attacking strategy was ineffective against an opponent who was at a superior level. The difference in skill between Inoue and Akhmadaliev was evident, and Akhmadaliev was outmatched in the fight.
