Crawford, now 38, showed why he's one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He kept his cool, managed the distance well, and took advantage when he saw openings. Crawford had to deal with a bigger, more experienced opponent, but he stuck to his game plan and controlled the pace of the fight.
Álvarez tried to land wide hooks, but Crawford was ready for them. This marks Álvarez's first loss at super middleweight, a tough pill to swallow for the Mexican superstar.
After the fight, Crawford said:
"He's a strong champion, I've got nothing but respect for him. He fought like a champion today. We knew what he was trying to do: the wide hooks. He knew I was faster, but he then respected my power."
Crawford also talked about his strategy:
"I felt like I had to separate myself, I didn't want to eat too soon, but when the time came, I let my hands go. I was looking at his body language, things like that, trying to amp himself up. I'm not going to feed into that and give him the opportunity."
Saudi sports official Turki Alalshikh has already suggested a big fight between Crawford and David Benavidez at 168 pounds. Benavidez, a former champion who recently moved up to light heavyweight, would finally get his shot at a major title.
Crawford would go into that fight as the clear favorite after his win over Álvarez. He's got advantages in speed, timing, and defense, plus he's proven he can win in multiple weight classes. Benavidez is bigger, but Crawford has shown he can handle that.
When asked about his next move, Crawford kept his options open:
"I've got to sit down with my team and we'll talk about it."
Crawford is getting close to the end of his career, but he's still at the top of his game. His precision, speed, and ability to adapt have made him a legend in the sport. Whatever he decides to do next, fight fans will be watching closely.