By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

This bout between Canelo Alveraz and Terrance Crawford, two of the better pound for pound fighters over the past generation and while many favored the boxing technician Crawford, Alvarez was the natural bigger fighter. Alveraz was the bigger fighter and younger fighter, and he has been fighting professionally since he was a teenager. As one person noted, he had more knockouts than Crawford had wins.

Crawford won 19 championship bouts whereas Alveraz won 23 so they were two of the more dominant fighters. I remember when Mayweather out boxed Alvarez despite being the smaller fighter but that was a younger Alvarez, and the present Alvarez was the natural bigger fighter and more experienced since the Mayweather fight, while Crawford won the intern WBO intern championship against Israil Madrimov but hardly impressive event in his first attempt in the junior Middleweight.

The first round saw Crawford moving and boxing, landing clean combinations as Alvarez tries to slow Crawford with body shots including a left. Second round saw Crawford giving Alvarez different look as he eats Crawford jabs to get body shots. Crawford jab may have won the second round, and I had it 20-18. Round three saw Crawford landing with jabs and even a body shots plus a left hook flush on Alvarez face while Alvarez landing left hook to the body. After three rounds, it is close, but I will give Crawford the edge in all three rounds. From this point, it is a question if Alvarez will eventually impose his will on the smaller Crawford. So, in the early going, it was not the case.

Crawford moved Alvarez back with a left as he picks up the pace in the fourth round. Alvarez lands a right to the body and head but so far at this point Crawford appeared to have the advantage and 40-36 after four rounds. Round five saw Alvarez move his upper body and defend him out of harm’s way of Crawford harder shots but while Crawford nailed Alvarez with a right, Alvarez may have won the hand with a hook to the body. It was 49-46. Sixth round saw both men exchanging punches and in the early part of the round, Crawford was beathing Alvarez to the punch. Alvarez landed a big shot to the body, but Crawford landed his own left hand and even ripped a shot or two to the body. Halfway through the fight I had it 59-55 but never underestimate Alvarez ability to gain close rounds on the judges score card.

Round seven still sees Crawford frustrating Alvarez as Crawford is countering Alvarez inside punching. Alvarez cornered Crawford but Crawford landed uppercut and circles away. In some ways it reminded me of how Mayweather also frustrated Alvarez. 69-64. Eighth round is close as Alvarez works his way on the inside, but Crawford is returning fire and while this was a close round judges may have given this to Alverez, but I gave it to Crawford 79-73. Ninth round may have been Crawford best at this point as he peeled off combinations that snaped Alvarez head back and during an attempt by Alvarez to counter his head collided with Crawford, opening a small gash over Crawford head. Alvarez hands a hard combination ending with a solid right but Crawford nails Alvarez with a short left and his movement stalled Alvaraz with three rounds left I had it 89-82 and it would appear that Alvarez needed a knockout on my card.

Crawford movement appears to be bewildered Alvarez, and his combinations is slowing the bigger man advances. Crawford won the round 99-91. The eleventh round another round that I had Crawford winning with combinations as Alvarez was taking two punches to land his one and at this point, Crawford was winning but there are few close rounds, and this is Vegas in which the judges may give Alvarez the benefit. Finat round saw Crawford landing combinations as Alvarez tried for one big punch to end the fight in his favor. As he lunged, Crawford nailed Alvarez with a right hand and land combinations. As the bell rang to end the fight, Crawford staggered Alvarez. I had the fight 119-109 in Crawford favor while the judges had the fight closer 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112, this was a virtuosa performance by Crawford.

At the age of 37, he moved up to Alvarez’s weigh and won against the bigger man. Most of the unofficial scorecards had Crawford winning big. ESPN had 118-110, 10 rounds to 2 and I had it 11 rounds to one. When you look at Compubox, it was a close fight with Crawford landing 115-99 but round by round, Alvarez had more punches landed in 6 rounds to Crawford 5 with one even, but Crawford landed more jabs and threw more punches while he was close in landing power shots 70 to Alvarez 83. Alvarez never had Crawford in trouble but there was couple of times that Alvarez was staggered. While I gave many close rounds to Crawford, part of it was Crawford constant movement and being more active but there were rounds close enough to reward them to Alvarez. Alvarez was given a few more close rounds that I rewarded Alvarez with, and I have no problem with that. Boxing can be a subjective sport to score but the judges did have the winner right.