Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford Delivers a Masterclass in the Sweet Science of Boxing

What a performance by Terence “Bud” Crawford. A masterful display of the sweet science at the very highest level. All the challenges we believed Crawford would have to overcome, he did. Canelo’s power did not faze him. The pressure Canelo usually imposes was neutralized. Even the supposed size and strength advantage was not the deciding factor many thought it would be.

 Crawford fought the entire bout as a southpaw, his preferred stance in recent fights. This was expected to give Canelo opportunities to land his power shots, but the opposite proved true. Crawford’s excellent defense, tight guard, and sharp footwork shut those chances down. Typically, a southpaw vs. orthodox matchup can neutralize both fighters’ jabs. However, Crawford used his three-and-a-half-inch reach advantage brilliantly, throwing his jab to disrupt Canelo’s rhythm whenever he tried to close the distance.

Crawford’s ring IQ was phenomenal. Every time Canelo attempted to pressure him, Crawford circled away from the ropes, denying him the chance to unload heavy combinations in tight spaces. Crucially, Crawford did not show Canelo too much respect. Instead, he kept him honest, switching from a long guard in mid-to-long range exchanges to a tight guard up close. This allowed him to absorb shots when necessary, then fire back with sharp three-, four-, even five-punch combinations. That ability to return fire immediately, not just take punches, but punish in return, was central to his game plan.

 In the clinch, Crawford never looked concerned about Canelo’s size or strength. In fact, at times he appeared stronger. This is likely thanks to his wrestling background, where controlling opponents in close quarters is second nature.

Canelo is an all-time great and will always be remembered as one of the finest fighters in history. But last night, he looked out of ideas. He struggled to break down the puzzle Crawford placed in front of him. His usual punch combinations were missing, in part because Crawford’s tactics made them difficult to execute. He rarely committed to his jab and seemed to rely on landing single power punches to change the fight. The problem was that for every one punch Canelo landed, Crawford answered with four.

 Canelo attempted to set up his trademark shots by going low early, then faking low and throwing high, but Crawford read it all and kept his guard impenetrable. As Dmitry Bivol once remarked after facing both Beterbiev and Canelo: Canelo’s single punches carry enormous force, but Beterbiev can sustain that power throughout his combinations. Crawford exposed that limitation perfectly.

 What a privilege it was to witness a fight of this caliber. Two legends stepped into the ring, but it was Terence Crawford who turned the night into a masterclass, a reminder of why boxing is called the sweet science