For Terence Crawford, the September 13th victory over Canelo Alvarez was more than just another win. It was history in the making. Already the first fighter of the four-belt era to unify two divisions, Bud Crawford has now done it a third time, something no one else has achieved. With world titles spanning from 135 all the way up to 168 pounds, his conquest of Canelo Alvarez made him a five-division world champion, solidifying his legacy among the sport’s elite.

That accomplishment places Terence Crawford alongside legends like Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, Roberto Durán, and Manny Pacquiao, elevating him from generational talent to all-time great. On the other side, Canelo Alvarez fell short of expectations, leaving fans and analysts dissecting where it all went wrong. Now, one boxer who once defeated Crawford himself has revealed the critical mistake Alvarez made in his fight against the pound-for-pound king. So, what did he say?

Canelo falls to Terence Crawford’s brilliance

Yesterday, Elie Seckbach of ESNews took to his YouTube channel to share a candid interview with Danny Garcia. The two discussed the potential strategies Canelo Alvarez could have used if he wanted to beat the Nebraskan southpaw who moved up two weight classes to face the 63-3 Mexican superstar. “So, what did you make of his fight with Canelo? How did he score it? What do you think?” Seckbach asked the 37-year-old.

Danny Garcia, the former two-division world champion who fought Terence Crawford twice in the amateurs and split their encounters 1-1, gave his take. “I had him [Terence Crawford] winning the fight, he boxed beautiful. He boxed beautiful,” Garcia said. He then drew a comparison to his own 2013 unanimous decision victory, adding, “It reminded me when I fought Matisse. I boxed [Lucas Martin] Matthysse and the guy was just coming forward with the power.”

Garcia also pointed out something unusual about Alvarez’s performance inside the ring. “You know, I was surprised Canelo didn’t use more of his jab. I felt like if he would have used his jab a little bit more and didn’t load up so much, he would have been a lot better. But Crawford took all his strengths away. He used that beautiful jab. It looked like he wasn’t even putting out all his punches either. He was just touching them, touching them, touching them, touching them, hitting them, moving. And he rose to the occasion. Can’t say nothing about him.”

And the numbers backed up Garcia’s observation. Alvarez threw far fewer punches. From the opening bell, Bud Crawford controlled the action, attempting 216 more punches and outlanding him 115 to 99. With speed, precision, and tactical brilliance, the undefeated champion kept the Mexican star guessing throughout the fight.

In the end, when asked about what’s next, Garcia responded, “I think the only thing is the rematch. That’s the only thing that makes sense for both of those guys, the rematch. Terence is going to get more money. Canelo will try to get his revenge. I can’t see Terence doing nothing less than the rematch, to be honest.” While Terence Crawford has not commented on either a rematch or retirement, Alvarez also stopped short of committing to anything. For now, fans will have to wait and see what happens next. Still, Garcia is not alone in believing Alvarez wasn’t active enough when he faced the 42-0 pound-for-pound king.

Canelo lost his spirit the night he faced Terence Crawford

On the latest episode of Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo broke down where things went wrong for Canelo Alvarez against Terence Crawford. Usman felt that the version of Canelo fans were used to simply wasn’t there on fight night. “It’s just not the Canelo we are accustomed to because we’ve seen him throw five to seven punch combinations,” Usman said, pointing out that the 63-3 veteran’s punches lacked their usual finishing power. He even suggested that training camp issues, injuries, or wear and tear may have played a role, noting a moment where Canelo’s right hand left him off balance.

Cejudo quickly teased Usman, asking if he was only noticing the imbalance because of his own history with knee injuries. Usman laughed it off with, “Knee or no knee, it doesn’t matter. I make it happen.” Still, he insisted that Alvarez’s stance looked too static, adding that he “just stands there” after setting up, leaving himself open when he threw.

Cejudo agreed, pointing out that Canelo stayed in one spot for too long instead of creating openings. “There is a moment he’s there, and he stays there a little too long,” he said. He believed the 63-3 boxer should have moved more, used feints, or created angles rather than allowing Crawford to dictate. “He just got jabbed. He just got pushed back,” Cejudo added, echoing Usman’s concerns.

However, in Usman’s view, Canelo Alvarez’s fighting spirit simply didn’t shine through. Whether it was age, wear, or Crawford’s brilliance, Usman felt “the mean-spirited Canelo wasn’t there.” That said, what are your thoughts on how Canelo Alvarez performed against Terence “Bud” Crawford?