Canelo Vs Crawford; the fight of the decade

Much is made of the Saudi Arabian entrance to the world boxing.

The critiques are loud and numerous. Boxing never known to weigh human rights heavily has enthusiastically embraced Turki Al-Sheikh. Like its entrance into golf, football and tennis, many accuse the kingdom of using boxing as a means to improve the kingdoms reputation. Other accusations are also levied. Taking events away to a region of the world not known for its love of the sport. Where Usyk vs Fury I and II may have easily sold out any number of stadiums in America or London, both were fought in an arena with a capacity less than thirty thousand. However, one cannot doubt that now, in a sport long plagued by the largest stars failing to fight, the biggest and best fights are taking place.

The fight itself while not seeing a dramatic knockout, was indeed brilliant

Boxings golden or alternatively undisputed age is now here. In the upper weight classes, Usyk is the undisputed heavyweight following victories of Dubois and Fury. Bivol and Beterbiev have clashed twice and seem destined to go for the all-Russian trilogy fight. Yet the greatest achievement of Saudi involvement is arguably Crawford vs Canelo.

The super middleweight class of titans undoubtably drew comparison to the previous fight of the decade, Mayweather Vs Pacquiao. Yet while many viewed the earlier fight as a missed opportunity with both men out of their primes and Pacquiao nursing a shoulder injury, the later fight was truly a fight matching its billing as once in a lifetime. A prefight build up featuring everything from Tom Brady to Piers Morgan to Canelo egging on verbal scraps between UFC promoter Dana White, in his first foray into boxing, and Journalists about his attempts to alter the Ali Act.

The fight itself while not seeing a dramatic knockout, was indeed brilliant. Neither man in their combined 700+ rounds of boxing had ever been knocked down. The prevailing wisdom was that Canelo the bigger man, would have the physical advantage but Crawford coming up ten pounds would need to use technique and skill against his opponent as Mayweather himself did to defeat Canelo in their clash.

Crawford, now easily one of, if not the best fighter in the lower weight classes, may choose now to retire

The first rounds were tentative. While Canelo seemed finally to unleash his power in the fourth, it was Crawford from the fifth round onward who dictated the tempo and flow of the fight, remaining southpaw the entire fight. By the fights end Crawford out landed his opponent 115-99. At points, Canelo seemed borderline frustrated by his lack of success, as he did against both previous losses to Mayweather and Bivol. The unanimous victory to Crawford thus seemed entirely unsurprising.

The future thus is open to both fighters. Crawford, now easily one of, if not the best fighter in the lower weight classes, may choose now to retire. Alternatively, there are a host of options available, a building feud with UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria or consolidation of the titles at super middleweight are all available to him. Canelo meanwhile may choose to move down in weight or retain the titles he has now. Either way the doors is still mightily open to either man. While Crawford may have been the winner in the ring, it us the fans and Netflix, with a reported 41 million live viewers, who just as winsome.