Shane Mosley says he believes that Terence Crawford is a “better all-around fighter” than the prime version of Floyd Mayweather Jr. was. He argues that Crawford’s “longer arms” would give him the edge against Floyd.
Forgetting Mayweather’s Prime Speed
Mayweather would have been difficult for Crawford to hit if he had fought him when Floyd fought at super featherweight from 1997 to 2000. He was called ‘Pretty Boy’ back then, and was very difficult to hit, and lightning fast.
The Reach and Size Argument
“I would say that Crawford is better. He’s a better all-around fighter. Mayweather is really good. You can’t knock him, but I think Crawford would have had the edge because of his long arms, and he’s bigger,” said Shane Mosley to Fight Hub TV, arguing that Terence Crawford is a better fighter than Floyd Mayweather Jr. ever was.
What Mosley is failing to point out is how much slower Crawford was compared to Mayweather when he was in his prime, 24 years ago in 2021. The speed of ‘Pretty Boy’ would have been too much for the slow, methodical Crawford, who had his hands full fighting at lightweight against lesser fighters like Briedis, Prescott, Ricky Burns, and Yuriorkis Gamboa.
“He would have kept him at bay. It would have been hard for Mayweather to counter. He’s [Crawford] is one of the GOATs and could have fought in any era. Crawford is tougher and would have had a better time in different eras in the old school era because he was an old school fighter,” said Mosley.
The Weight Rehydration Factor
What we’ve learned of Crawford lately is that he’s a fighter who fought below his natural weight, and should have been fighting at 160 and 168 years ago. If Crawford rehydrated to the 170s or 180s for a fight against a prime Floyd Mayweather Jr., that would have been difficult for the ‘Pretty Boy’ version from the 2001 era.
If there is a rehydration clause in place to prevent Crawford’s weight from shooting up to absurd numbers, the 2001 version of Mayweather would have been too fast and accurate with his pinpoint shots, in my opinion. Mosley may be forgetting how fast Floyd was when he was in his prime, fighting at super featherweight and lightweight. He was a different animal and would have likely carved up the much slower, low-output Crawford.
I disagree with Mosley’s assertion that Crawford would have done better in the “old school” era than Mayweather. Crawford would have overmatched against the prime fighters in the old school. era, and he wouldn’t have had the same career in my view.
When Crawford fought at 147, he never fought any elite fighters. Errol Spence was a shell of his former self when Crawford beat him on July 29, 2023. Errol hadn’t looked like an elite-level fighter since his car crash in 2019. The then 34-year-old Shawn Porter was at the end of his career when Crawford knocked him out in the 10th round on November 20, 2021. Indeed, Porter retired shortly after the fight.
The ‘Hitman’ Hearns Comparison
Crawford’s low punch output and his tendency to only want to sit back, fighting counter shots would have put him at mercy against prime versions of Sugar Ray Leonard, Mayweather, and Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns if he could be transported via a time machine to those eras when they were at their physical best.
I believe the welterweight version of ‘Hitman’ Hearns, who obliterated Pipino Cuevas in two rounds on August 2, 1980, would have been too powerful and long for Crawford if they had fought prime for prime.
As good as Crawford was, he was hittable at welterweight. All it would have taken was one good shot from Hearns, and it would have put Crawford in serious trouble. Once he was hurt, Hearns would have gone for the finish and destroyed Crawford as he did against Cuevas and Pablo Baez.
