Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 14 Sep 2025
In a historic battle, Saúl "Canelo" Alvarez's reign as the undisputed super middleweight champion came to an end as he was outboxed, defeated and dethroned by superbly skilled Terence “Bud” Crawford via unanimous decision Saturday night at the super-packed Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The sold-out crowd of 70,482 fans witnessed a masterclass performance from “Bud” Crawford, who became the first male boxer in the 4-belt era to capture unified titles in 3 different weight clAsses.
The Fight
The bout was a battle between two of boxing's P4P biggest stars.
Crawford's speed, agility, and precision proved to be too much for the very popular, coming-forward Canelo.
At the end, two judges scored the fight rather close: 115-113 (meaning 7 rounds for Bud and 5 for Canelo), and the third 116-112 (8 for Bud, and 4 for Canelo), all in favor of the talented American boxer from Omaha, Nebraska.
However, for many fans, a 116-112 or 118-110 might be more accurate and in-sync with reality. Would you agree?
Thru out the battle, Bud's super effective and intelligent strategy and adaptability allowed him to outmaneuver the strong Canelo.
Despite Canelo's best efforts, he struggled to land significant blows against Crawford's swift movements and super slick defense.
Canelo Showed Respect
After the fight, the Mexican superstar showed respect for the undefeated Crawford, acknowledging the American’s superior performance. 👍
“Una derrota no me define," a disappointed Canelo said, meaning that one defeat does not define him as a boxer.
The Guadalajara native also expressed his willingness to fight “Bud” again in the future.
But… would a rematch between Canelo and Bud produce a different result? What do you think?
Viewership: A New Era in Boxing?
“Canelo VS Crawford” marked a significant moment in boxing history, not just because of Crawford's awesome achievement. But also due to the event's super massive viewership.
Because the fight was broadcast LIVE on Netflix, it drew-in a very large audience from around the world, paving the way for a new era in boxing broadcasting. No more HBO nor Showtime. Now it’s all streaming platforms, Netflix joining-in with a bang.
The show was promoted by UFC President Dana White together with Riyadh Season of H.E. تركي آل الشيخ - Turki Al Alshikh.
What's NExt?
With Crawford's victory, the boxing fans wonder what's next for “the new” champion:
Will “Bud” continue in super middleweights, or will he move up or down to another weight class?
Meanwhile, Canelo might take a time to regroup and be back in action again as the Mexican’s popularity is undeniable.
The author is veteran boxing writer Carlos Costa of Cebu.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.
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