"When the scores were read out and the task was accomplished, Terence Crawford dropped to one knee in the centre of the ring and wept. After more than a decade of waiting for the moment that would amplify his greatness beyond the paywalled enclave of modern boxing, the 37-year-old from Omaha had just outpointed the sport's biggest star, Canelo Alvarez, before more than 70,000 fans in Las Vegas and millions more on Netflix."
"Patience has always been Crawford's greatest asset. Inside the ring, he is the consummate problem-solver: slow to reveal his hand, content to let an opponent show their patterns, then surgically dismantling them once he has cracked the code. Outside it, he endured years of frustration, denied the paydays and opponents his gifts merited, waiting for the one night that could not be ignored any more."
"For most of his career, Crawford operated on the margins of mainstream stardom, the quiet craftsman without the crossover appeal of louder, brasher champions. He unified at 140lb. He did it again at 147, thrashing Errol Spence Jr in 2023 before a payperview audience of about 700,000, his most visible commercial success by far. Yet doubts lingered. His resume, critics said, lacked marquee names."
Terence Crawford achieved a landmark victory by outpointing Canelo Alvarez before over 70,000 spectators and millions on Netflix. Crawford waited more than a decade for a defining moment that would amplify his reputation beyond boxing’s paywalled audiences. Patience and tactical problem-solving define his ring approach: he conceals plans, studies opponents’ patterns, then methodically dismantles them. He endured years of frustration and missed paydays while seeking an undeniable opportunity. Crawford often existed on the margins of mainstream stardom despite unifying titles at 140lb and 147lb and a notable win over Errol Spence Jr. Critics questioned his marquee résumé and Top Rank affiliation limited some matchups.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]