Terence Crawford brought the curtain down on one of modern boxing’s greatest careers in December last year, retiring undefeated after adding Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to his record
The former undisputed champion at super-lightweight, welterweight and super-middleweight also scored victories over the likes of Errol Spence Jr, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Amir Khan.
As is often the case with all-time greats, debate has since turned to the opponents Crawford did not face, as well as fantasy match-ups against some of the greats of past eras. One name consistently raised is Floyd Mayweather, who retired with a perfect 50-0 record after becoming one of the most accomplished fighters in boxing history.
On that particular debate, three-weight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez told Luis Parra that Mayweather would have been the man to hand Crawford his first defeat.
“I think so, [that Mayweather would have beaten Crawford]. I think that styles make fights, you know. Crawford is a great fighter, but if you look at who he has beaten, he has only beaten Canelo.”
A fight between the pair was never a realistic possibility. Mayweather retired for the first time in 2015 before returning for victories over Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, while Crawford was still establishing himself as one of the world’s best at super-lightweight before beginning his run at welterweight.
Although fans will never get a definitive answer, fantasy match-ups involving Crawford continue to dominate debate following his retirement. Chavez has made his stance clear, believing Mayweather’s defensive brilliance and style would have been enough to preserve his own unbeaten record while inflicting the first loss of ‘Bud’s professional career.
