Boxing

Terence Crawford Sets Record Straight On Floyd Mayweather 'GOAT' Debate

Terence Crawford got crystal clear about his Floyd Mayweather opinion.
Grant Young|
IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

Terence Crawford cemented himself as one of the best boxers in modern history with his victory over Canelo Alvarez on September 13.

Crawford was already going to go down as one of the greats of his era before fighting Canelo, and there's a case to be made that his legacy wouldn't have taken too big a hit if he had lost in that fight, given that he was the underdog and was moving up two weight classes to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight belts.

But that doesn't matter because Crawford got his hand raised. As a result, he is the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in three different weight classes. This, combined with his now having Canelo's name on his resumé and still holding an undefeated professional record, makes it so there's really only one other modern boxer with whom he can compare.

That boxer is Floyd "Money" Mayweather, who is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time after finishing his professional career at 50-0 with 15 major world championships across five weight classes.

When speaking with the media after losing to Crawford, Canelo (who is the only man to have fought both Crawford and Mayweather) asserted that he believed Crawford was the better fighter between them.

This has sparked a range of debate among the boxing community, as every former fighter and pundit seems to have an opinion on whether Crawford's win puts him above Mayweather as this generation's greatest fighter.

MORE: Canelo Alvarez Updated WBO Ranking After Terence Crawford Loss Hints At Next Fight

Terence Crawford Gets Honest About Floyd Mayweather Comparison Debate

Floyd Mayweather looks on during the first half of a December 14, 2024 game
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Crawford was asked his opinion about this during his September 18 appearance on the 4th & 1 with Cam Newton podcast, and sent a clear message.

"That's the GOAT. [Mayweather is] one of the GOATs," Crawford said, per an X post from Ring Magazine. He then added, "I have nothing but the utmost respect for Mayweather. I would never compare myself to Mayweather. He's the greatest of his era, and I'm the greatest of my era."

While Crawford is entitled to his opinion on this as much as everybody else who has weighed in, many would assert that he and Mayweather are a part of the same generation, given that they're only 10 years apart in age and were both professional fighters at the same time.

Regardless, Crawford clearly doesn't see the need for these comparisons and would probably prefer to continue his career without fans mentioning Mayweather.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.