Errol Spence Jr. says he wasn’t surprised about Terence Crawford’s victory over undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in their so-called ‘Fight of the Century’ on September 13, 2025, in Las Vegas.
The inactive former three-belt unified welterweight champion Spence states that the 5’7 1/2″ Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KOs) began his career at welterweight in 2005.
The ‘Big Four’ Crawford Didn’t Fight
So, it’s not like Crawford jumped up two divisions from 154 to 168 to face a true super middleweight with size and youth, like ‘The Big Four’ in the division:
- Osleys Iglesias (27 years) 6′ 2″ or 6′ 2½”
- Christian Mbilli (30) 5′ 8½” or 5′ 9″
- Lester Martinez (30) 5′ 11″
- Diego Pacheco (24) 6′ 3″ or 6′ 4″
If Crawford had to face those fighters for the four belts at 168, it might have been a different story for him. It’s unlikely that he would have made that move in the first place, though, as those are not superstar fighters like Canelo. They’re younger, more agile, and more suited to the 168-lb division than the Mexican star. They haven’t been given the opportunities yet.
What Happens If Crawford Gets Humbled
The downside of Crawford getting beaten up by one of these younger fighters would have been disastrous for his dreams of being elevated to the Mount Rushmore of boxing to sit among the top for all-time greats. Taking on those types of fighters is what Crawford should be doing if he were genuinely interested in becoming an all-time great, but he might not like the outcome.
Crawford looked good. He looked strong and carried the weight well. No, I wasn’t shocked. Canelo is not a big guy anyway. Canelo started at 147 and came to 168,” said Errol Spence to Fight Hub TV last Saturday night, when asked if he was surprised about Terence Crawford’s win over Canelo Alvarez last September.
Going up against a true super middleweight would have been a whole different kettle of fish for Crawford than facing a smallish, flat-footed 35-year-old Canelo. It was the perfect situation for Crawford to win the undisputed super middleweight championship against a small, old, and faded Canelo.
Turki Should’ve Put Bud’s Feet to the Fire
Turki Alalshikh should have put Crawford’s feet to the fire by forcing him to fight ‘The Big Four’ at 168 to earn the fight against the fading superstar Canelo instead of giving it to him on a silver platter without him earning. He either fights each of ‘The Big Four’ or is given the option of facing ‘The Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez. Those should have been the options Turki offered to Crawford to get the so-called ‘Fight of the Century’ against Canelo.
“I feel like Crawford walks around at 168, 170-ish or whatever. So, I feel like it was kind of easy for him to make the weight. He looked good. He handled it well,” said Spence.
Size-wise, Crawford was just as big as Canelo and should have been fighting at 168 years ago. That would have been interesting to have seen Crawford fighting David Benavidez and David Morrell when they were at 168. Would Crawford do well against either of them? Chris Williams doubts it. They’re all wrong for him, power-wise and youth-wise.
“He is one of the greats, for sure,” said Errol when asked if Crawford’s win over Canelo makes him an all-time great.
Spence is right. Crawford is an all-time great, but you can’t call him #1, because he hasn’t taken the risks needed for him to beat the top to sit among these four on the Mount Rushmore of boxing:
- Sugar Ray Robinson
- Muhammad Ali
- Henry Armstrong
- Joe Louis
Mount Rushmore: The Test Crawford Must Pass
Crawford could improve his chances of being an all-time great in a true sense if he took the risks needed in the next two years to face the apex predators. He’s not likely to do that, though, because the chances of him failing repeatedly would be high. When you barely beat Canelo, it’s a signal that you’re not going to be one of the apex fighters.
The fights Crawford should take to be on the Mount Rushmore of boxing:
- David Benavidez
- Dmitry Bivol
- Jaron Ennis
- David Morrell
- Osleys Iglesias
- Artur Beterbiev
- Jai Opetaia
