Terence Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision, handing the Mexican his first defeat at super-middleweight to become the undisputed world champion. Jake Paul, who had previously been in talks with Alvarez, has weighed in on the action.
Canelo stepped through the ropes a betting favourite to retain his four belts, with many feeling that, though Crawford’s skill is undeniable, even he would struggle with packing on such a significant amount of weight and still performing at his best.
The switch-hitter from Omaha, Nebraska proved his doubters wrong with a conditioned, brave and technical display against a Canelo who appeared to tire down the stretch. A unanimous decision win with the scores of 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 crowned a new champion and left Canelo belt-less for the first time in some years.
Though most focused their post-fight comments on Crawford’s history-making performance, Paul was quick to dig into his almost-rival on X, calling him ‘overrated.’
“Canelo putting his hand up like he won, lol, dumbass lying weirdo. Canelo been overrated.”
Paul also then used Crawford’s win to question the common phrase that ‘weight classes are there for a reason’ – something he will be keen to play down as he, a filled-out cruiserweight, will fight lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis in an exhibition this year.
As for Alvarez, where he goes next remains unclear. A rematch may be an option, however Crawford may instead want to move back down in weight to create yet more legacy, that is if both men decide to continue fighting.
