Errol Spence Jr. says he was not surprised by 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.
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 did not 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 old) 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. However, it’s unlikely he would have made that move in the first place because these aren’t superstar fighters like Canelo. They are younger, more agile and more suited to the 168-lb division than the Mexican star. They haven’t gotten the opportunities yet.
What happens when Crawford is humiliated
The downside of Crawford being beaten 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 tops for all time greats. Taking on those types of fighters is what Crawford should do if he’s truly interested in becoming an everyday big, but he might not like the outcome.
Crawford looked good. He looked strong and carried the weight well. No, I wasn’t shocked. Canelo isn’t a big guy anyway. Canelo started at 147 and got to 168,” Errol Spence said Fight Hub TV last Saturday night, when asked if he was surprised by Terence Crawford’s win over Canelo Alvarez last September.
Facing a true super middleweight would have been a very 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 withered Canelo.
Turki must have set Bud’s feet on fire
Turki Alalshikh should have set Crawford’s feet to the fire by forcing him to fight ‘The Big Four’ at 168 to earn the fight against fading superstar Canelo instead of handing it to him on a silver platter without earning it. He either fights each of ‘The Big Four’ or gets the option to face ‘The Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez. These must have been the options Turki offered Crawford to get the so-called ‘Fight of the Century’ against Canelo.
“I feel like Crawford is walking around at 168, 170-ish or whatever. So, I feel like it was pretty easy for him to make the weight. He looked good. He handled it well,” Spence says.
Size-wise, Crawford was the same size as Canelo and should have fought 168 years ago. It would have been interesting to see Crawford fight David Benavidez and David Morrell when they were at 168. Would Crawford do well against one of them? Chris Williams doubts it. They are all wrong for him, power-wise and youthful.
“He’s definitely one of the greats,” Errol said when asked if Crawford’s win over Canelo made him a great.
Spence is right. Crawford is an all-time great, but you can’t call him #1 because he hasn’t taken the risks necessary for him to beat the top to sit among these four on boxing’s Mount Rushmore:
- Sugar Ray Robinson
- Muhammad Ali
- Henry Armstrong
- Joe Louis
Mount Rushmore: The Test Crawford Must Pass
Crawford can improve his chances of being a true everyday great if he takes the risks necessary in the next two years to face the top predators. However, he will not do this because the chances of him failing repeatedly will be high. When you barely beat Canelo, it’s a sign that you’re not going to be one of the top fighters.
The fights Crawford must take to be on the Mount Rushmore of boxing:
- David Benavidez
- Dmitry Bivol
- Jaron Ennis
- David Morrell
- Osley Iglesias
- Artur Beterbiev
- Jai Opetaia
Last updated on 11/09/2025
