Terence Crawford thought win over Canelo Álvarez would be difficult

Now retired from professional boxing, Terence Crawford recently spoke with YouTube host Adin Ross about his career and his victory over Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.

The unanimous decision win over Álvarez in September in Las Vegas marked the end of Crawford’s dominance of the sport – he later retired with a 42-0 record and 31 knockouts – and the Mexican star’s run as super middleweight champion.

During the conversation, Crawford said he expected to be challenged and tested more by Álvarez. Crawford, who had won titles in four weight classes before facing Álvarez, won all four 168-pound titles on the line in the fight, becoming the undisputed champion at the third level.

“I’m not going to lie, I thought it would be harder,” he said.

Crawford explained that as the first few rounds progressed, he was able to clearly read his opponent’s approach and felt more and more comfortable in the ring. Crawford said he didn’t notice any significant adjustments from Álvarez, allowing him to control the pace of the fight and pick his moments to attack more effectively.

“The first round passed, the second round passed … and then I thought, ‘I’ve got it,’” Crawford said.

Crawford also spoke about the pre-fight narrative and how, in his opinion, he had been underestimated.

“A lot of people spent time talking about his size, his endurance, that he was going to knock me out or run over me,” Crawford said. “There was no question of whether or not I could harm him.”

According to Crawford, this perception changed in the ring when his power forced Álvarez to be more careful. Crawford said the Mexican came to respect his punching power and ability to control exchanges.

The interview came weeks after Crawford confirmed his retirement at age 38, ending speculation about the possibility of a rematch against Álvarez.

This item first appeared in Spanish via LA Times in Spanish.