Will Terence Crawford be new pound-for-pound No 1 if he beats Canelo?

Crawford is currently third on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list... Would he have a claim to top spot if he beats Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night?

Terence Crawford is just days away from the biggest challenge of his career as he prepares to jump up two weight categories to face super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez.

Crawford, 37, is already a four-division champion and has held undisputed status at two weight classes.

He is currently ranked the third-best pound-for-pound fighter in the world behind Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue by The Ring.

But could he leapfrog Usyk and Inoue into top spot if he beats Canelo on Saturday night?

Let’s break down whether Crawford would have a rightful claim to being the best boxer on the planet with a win in Las Vegas.

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CRAWFORD-CANELO (AP)

Undisputed in multiple divisions

Usyk, Inoue and Crawford have all been undisputed champions in two divisions.

Usyk is currently in possession of all the heavyweight belts having previously ruled the cruiserweight division, while Inoue is now the dominant force at super bantamweight, having also held all the marbles when he fought at bantamweight.

Crawford was the undisputed king at super lightweight and welterweight and won a title at super welterweight last year.

Now, he is jumping up a full stone in weight to chase greatness against Canelo. If he can beat the Mexican icon, he would become a three-weight undisputed champion, setting him apart from Usyk and Inoue in this department.

(AP)

Level of opposition

Usyk may have the edge here. He cleaned out the cruiserweight division by outpointing Mairis Briedis, outclassing Murat Gassiev and then stopping Tony Bellew.

He has since stepped up to heavyweight and beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each.

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Usyk may have only had 24 professional bouts, but he has made every one count to ensure he will go straight into the Hall of Fame when he hangs up his gloves.

Inoue is a little unfortunate that less attention is paid to the lighter weight divisions. He has some standout wins of his own against the likes of Nonito Donaire and Stephen Fulton and has rarely been troubled on his way to a perfect 30-0 record.

That lack of jeopardy may have counted against him over time, but he still has time to be involved in some mega fights in the near future.

A domestic showdown with fellow pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani could be on the horizon, while a move up to featherweight to take on naturally bigger fighters may also present him with a new challenge to prove exactly how special he is.

Like Usyk and Inoue, Crawford is also unbeaten, but his resume is a little thin in terms of eye-catching victories.

His biggest win came against Errol Spence two years ago when he dominated his rival to be crowned the undisputed welterweight champion.

He has also beaten former champions including Kell Brook and Shawn Porter, but has been waiting for another huge name to test himself against. Canelo should bring out the best in Crawford this weekend.

Level of activity

Fans want to see the best fighters getting in the ring regularly to showcase their skills. Inoue has not disappointed with his level of activity over the years.

Since the start of 2020, he has fought 11 times and is set to make that 12 on Sunday when he defends his titles against the dangerous Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

Meanwhile, Usyk has only boxed seven times during the same period and is not expected to return to the ring until next year while he nurses a back injury.

That figure drops to just five for Crawford. He has fought just once a year for the last five years and that trend will continue when he makes his first appearance of 2025 against Canelo.

Floyd Mayweather used to also have long periods of inactivity but would invariably put on a masterclass when he did step between the ropes.

Can Crawford follow in his footsteps on Saturday to show why he deserves to be recognised as a pound-for-pound superstar?

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Weight jumps

Crawford and Inoue have both ruled four divisions, while Usyk is a two-weight champion. But it would be fairer to analyse how much all three men have moved up in pounds given that Usyk is significantly bigger than his other two pound-for-pound rivals.

Crawford won his first championship at 135lbs and has since earned belts at 140, 147 and 154. If he can get past Canelo he will have moved up 33lbs in total to become a fight-weight champion.

Only five other fighters have achieved this feat – Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Crawford is just one win away from joining a very exclusive club.

Inoue started out down at 108lbs and has risen to his current weight of 122lbs. This may only be a stone across the course of his career, but it is a sizeable percentage of his body weight and he has still managed to carry his power all the way up to super bantamweight.

Meanwhile, Usyk has proven he can beat men his own size and then conquered several opponents with a major weight advantage over him.

Since jumping up from cruiserweight, Usyk has faced the likes of Joshua, Fury and Dubois, who all way in excess of 240lbs.

In Fury’s case, the Gypsy King tipped the scales at 281lbs (20st 1lb) for their rematch last December, yet Usyk beat him for a second time.

Usyk typically weighs 220-225lbs for his fights, regularly giving up anywhere between a stone and four stones, but still finds a way to win.

Oleksandr Usyk (left) ended Fury’s unbeaten record as a professional (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire)

Can Crawford surpass Usyk and Inoue by beating Canelo?

Crawford has been among boxing’s elite for over a decade and will get the chance to prove his greatness against a modern-day legend in Canelo.

If he gets his hand raised it will undoubtedly be the biggest win of his career and further enhance his legacy.

But will it be enough to climb to the top of the pound-for-pound list?

Crawford’s inactivity and overall level of opposition may just prevent him from jumping up two spots.

He could move above Inoue, who will then get his chance to respond just hours later, but it is hard to look past Usyk given his heavyweight run in the last four years.

Usyk has beaten his main rivals multiple times to show beyond doubt that he is the best heavyweight of his era, and that should be enough to keep him at No. 1 even if Crawford gets past Canelo.

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