Tim Bradley has drawn parallels between Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford, two of the greatest welterweights of all time, while offering a rather divisive take on their careers.
The two Americans have claimed world titles in five weight classes, yet the 147lbs division is where Crawford stumbled across a particularly fruitful hunting ground.
Ending all of his eight outings inside the distance, his ruthless run certainly made an imprint on this era of welterweight boxing.
While his most notable win came against Errol Spence Jr, who he stopped in the ninth round to claim the undisputed crown in 2023, ‘Bud’ also faced a selection of worthy contenders.
Victories over the likes of Shawn Porter and Egidijus Kavaliauskas, for instance, could be considered underrated, but will likely be looked upon more favourably in years to come.
So while many might argue that Crawford’s most impressive achievement arrived against Canelo Alvarez in September, when he became a three-division undisputed champion, his body of work at 147lbs means that he is often compared with welterweight greats of the past.
One of whom, of course, is Mayweather, who despite arguably enjoying his best performances in lower weight classes, was nonetheless able to stamp his authority on the welterweight division.
But while Crawford and Mayweather competed in vastly different eras, their respective resumes is where former two-weight world champion Bradley has managed to find an inch of common ground.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Hall of Famer opined that the two undefeated greats would have beaten every fighter that one another faced, while also suggesting that Crawford has greater power and skills than a prime Mayweather.
“Somebody said, ‘Can Terence Crawford beat everybody on Floyd Mayweather’s resume?’ Are you kidding me? Terence would smash everybody that Floyd ever fought.
“[Angel] Manfredy? Done; fried – Crawford would have beaten him, dominated him, knocked him the hell out. ‘Bud’ hits harder than Floyd. He can do everything Floyd can do, and he can do it from both [stances].
“Crawford got more skills than Floyd. Zab Judah too – that’s my guy – [but] ‘Bud’ would have got your ass too. Would Floyd Mayweather beat everybody on Crawford’s resume? Yeah, no s***. But it don’t go one way; it goes both ways.”
