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Message: [QUOTE="ssbriefcase, post: 5500459, member: 883"] Well, this is the type of day after fight night, that I'd be really interested in reading SWC's take. Canelo vs "Bud" Crawford. So with the biggest fight on paper in 20+ years, and billed as, Fight of the Century, it was a fury of anticipation leading up to this. So many interesting and unusual angles to talk about. Crawford moving up not 1, but 2 weight classes. Usually that doesn't bode well for fighters doing that against any great fighter. Crawford for the first time in his professional career was the B side, or underdog. 70,000 + in attendance, and definitely majority for Canelo. Having been to a Canelo fight in Vegas, it's overwhelming the following he has, almost cult like. The 1st round was pretty much as expected with 2 fighters of this caliber. It was a lot of downloading info of the opponent's size, movements, reach, etc. From the 2nd round on, Canelo was determined to break down the body of Crawford, thinking the fighter moving up so much in weight couldn't survive 12 rounds of that. Crawford on the other hand as I expected, used his superior footwork and movement and quickness to move in and out. I was really curious on how the extra weight would affect those things for Crawford. Honestly the entire fight, it didn't look like anything changed from his lighter weight. Crawford seemed to settle in and fight the way he wanted ( a lot of movement while jabbing) while Canelo was trying to still find a plan of attack that would get into him, while going to the body. Canelo seemed to turn the tide a little in the 5th I think? He connected not only the body, but a great headshot. In the 6th, Crawford seemed to bring out the meanness and aggressiveness he's known for, and acknowledging Canelo got him earlier and wasn't having a momentum swing. It worked, Bud went right back to combo's and moving in and out. As the fight went on, it was a surprise to me, that Canelo's powerful punches as they're known, weren't affecting Bud. Bud also wasn't falling for the trap that Canelo's known for on baiting guys on the ropes. Bud smiled a few times and had his swagger we've all seen before, while headed to his corner between rounds. I knew right then, he figured out Canelo, while Canelo was getting frustrated in getting in without throwing wild haymakers on Bud, and wasting important energy. Canelo's mouth started opening more in the 9th and 10th rounds. Crawford was putting together 4 punch combos, which I didn't think would happen to Canelo. He'd have combos of 3 to the head and finish with a body shot. Truly impressive. Into the championship rounds of 11 and 12. It was some of the most impressive tactical, schooling I've seen at that level of great fighters. Bud was nearly embarrassing Canelo. He was standing toe to toe and not back up during exchanges. He really was confident that his defense and offense would win out anywhere in the ring. Canelo after getting peppered coming in, seemed to do some weird shaking of his head and taking a step backwards, which I've never seen before. Clearly frustrated, and kind of an admittance of him losing. I had it 9-3 rounds for Bud. The judges were way too generous; 116-112, 115-113, 115-113. Bud Crawford put his name in the pantheon of all time boxing greats with that victory to solidify his legacy. He's the first male in the 4 belt era to be "undisputed" in 3 different weight classes. [/QUOTE]

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