Terence Crawford makes history with victory over Canelo Alvarez

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Terence Crawford said several times in his soft-spoken but confident way that he’s proven doubters wrong throughout his boxing career – and he was planning to do it again.

Few listened.

Canelo Alvarez was the bigger name, the one most responsible for helping draw an announced record crowd of 70,482 on Saturday night.

But Crawford now is the unified super middleweight champion. He became the first male boxer to capture three unified division titles when he defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision.

Judges Tim Cheatham and Max DeLuca awarded Crawford (42-0, 31 knockouts) the match 115-113 and Steve Weisfeld 116-112. The Associated Press scored the fight 118-110 in favor of the 37-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska.

Crawford, who moved up two weight classes, went down to a knee even before the decision was announced and then wept after he was named the winner.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Crawford said. “It’s not a surprise. It’s a surprise to y’all because you all didn’t believe in me.”

He won before a pro-Alvarez crowd, but there were significant chants of “Crawford” in the bout’s later rounds, and even Canelo backers didn’t try to boo them down as they had earlier in the night.

This was the first defeat for Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), the 35-year-old champion from Mexico who looked like the older boxer even going against someone his junior, since losing by unanimous decision to Dmitrii Bivol on May, 7, 2022. He was the -185 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook.

“We knew Crawford is a great fighter,” Alvarez said. “I did what I was supposed to do. I trained really hard. He deserved all the credit. I tried my best tonight and I couldn’t figure out the style.

“He had everything.”

This fight already was being compared with some of the greatest in Las Vegas’ rich history well before the two contestants tapped gloves.

The setting of Allegiant Stadium itself separated this bout because it was the first match at this venue. Never in question was the attendance record for a Las Vegas fight – 29,214 in 1982 for heavyweight champion Larry Holmes’ 13th-round knockout of Gerry Cooney at Caesars Palace’s specially constructed outdoor stadium – would fall on this night. So did the gate gross revenue record, the fight making $47.23 million.

It also surpassed the largest attendance for a sporting event in the 5-year-old stadium. The previous record of 63,969 was set Sept. 1 of last year when Southern California defeated LSU 27-20 to open the college football season.

There was plenty of star power in the stands, including boxing Hall of Famers, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr., Thomas Hearns and Julio Cesar Chavez. Actors Sofia Vergara, Michael J. Fox and Charlize Theron, comedians Dave Chappelle and Tracy Morgan, and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith – who was booed – were among the fans.

But this fight’s impact went beyond Las Vegas. Because it was on Netflix rather than pay-per-view, promoters hoped the card would draw in viewing numbers not seen since perhaps the 1970s when big-time bouts often were on broadcast networks.

This could be more the norm going forward now that UFC President and CEO Dana White is involved in boxing, this being his first card in collaboration with fellow promoter Riyadh Season. The UFC reached a seven-year deal with Paramount last month, choosing to puts its product on the streaming service rather than the PPV model that combat sports have used for their most important events.

There was not much action through the first eight rounds, at least not enough to keep a casual boxing fan tuned into the broadcast, though Crawford was the quicker, more athletic and better boxer to that point.

“I was stronger,” Crawford said. “I punched harder.”

The action picked up significantly in the ninth. Crawford went after Alvarez early with several combinations. His momentum got stopped when Alvarez headbutted Crawford, causing a brief timeout 41 seconds into the round. Crawford, nevertheless, was the superior fighter the rest of the way.

That didn’t change the rest of the fight.

“I felt like I was in control,” Crawford said. “I think he was trying to figure me out.”

In the co-main event, Ireland’s Callum Walsh (15-0, 11 KOs) easily defeated Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-1, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas by scores of 99-91, 99-91, 100-90. Hall of Famer Fernando Vargas Sr. was a IBF, IBA and WBC super welterweight champion.

Also, WBC interim super middleweight Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) of France retained his title after a draw with Lester Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) of Guatemala. Judges Patricia Morse Jarman scored the fight 97-93 for Martinez, Chris Migliore 96-94 for Mbilli and Glenn Feldman 95-95.