Crawford has long been described as flawless. Technically complete. One of the smartest fighters of his generation. Those descriptions did not disappear with age or inactivity. They followed him through various divisions until his last games. The idea that he was somehow ignored is inconsistent with how his career has been covered or discussed.
After going undisputed at welterweight in 2023, Crawford left the division immediately Jaron Ennis became his mandatory challenger. The fight never developed beyond theory. The most dangerous test at the weight went unsolved, not because it wasn’t available, but because Crawford moved on.
At junior middleweight, Crawford fought Israil Madrimov once in a split decision before moving on again. Vergil Ortiz Jr., Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev have all been positioned as potential next opponents. Each represented a different type of pressure. No one was ever faced.
The same pattern followed at super middleweight. Crawford beat a 35-year-old Canelo Alvarez which was no longer at its peak. It was a legitimate victory. It was also a clean exit. Osleys Iglesias, Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez never really entered the picture.
Instead, he fled from every division before the hard fighting came.
That history explains why the GOAT label is disputed. Crawford’s career was efficient and tightly controlled, built on smart decisions and an absence of damaging losses. But the fighters who close debates usually stay put when pressure builds, rather than walking away just before it happens.
Scott’s comment lands because it directly addresses that gap. Crawford is not overlooked. He is being evaluated. And evaluation is what happens when a career ends with questions still on the table.
