Crawford vs Benavidez you be the judge.
This was Duran when he moved up to 154 to challenge the champ Davey Moore far removed from his best fighting weight but he always took his skills and power with him when moving up that’s why he was so successful. He ruined Davey Moore who was knocking everybody out that they previously put in front of him before he faced Duran. He was never the same fighter after this fight. This is not for the squeamish or sensitive. Look at the defense, timing, head and body work, jab, etc. Duran vs Barkley is below also.
Just something to jog your memory this is Leonard vs Floyd Mayweather Sr. He dissected that Philly shell style, Mayweather used, broke Floyd down and stopped him. Look at that defense, speed, jab, head, and bodywork, etc. And this was a young green Leonard. I don’t know what Howard Cosell is talking about Leonard dominated this fight throughout he made Floyd miss countered him and punished him. And then stopped him. He was having fun in there.
This is Thomas Hearns vs Pipino Cuevas. Cuevas had defended his welterweight title 12 times many people were referring to him as the welterweight king but Hearns made him look like a novice and made quick work of him. Notice how Hearns controlled the distance with his foot movement and jab and set him up for the big right hand.
Let me first emphasize I am trying to ween myself off of boxing because of my beliefs so I only really catch or see the major matches. But I am working to eliminate that also. But yes I saw the fight. That was an exceptional and shocking performance by Bud Crawford he systematically took Spence apart exploited and exposed his weaknesses.
But I also think Spence suffered damage from that accident and wasn’t the same fighter who beat Brook for instance. They probably had also been studying Spence for quite some time. And Spence is a solid very good fighter. Not to take anything away from Crawford though because he has earned the right to be called possibly the greatest fighter of his era.
I also don’t think the accident was the sole reason for Spence’s performance I think Crawford had a lot to do with that performance also because Spence looked great in the Ugas fight.This was the best I have ever seen Crawford look in a fight. I don’t like to use the term great often because it has been used often and in cases when it wasn’t really warranted. Crawford exploited Spence’s lack of defense, slower hand speed, and lack of foot movement.
And his overly aggressive style played right into Crawford’s hands in this fight. He was marching in without moving his head. That fighting strategy had proven effective in some of his other fights because those guys weren’t as talented as Crawford. But I will try to explain why Crawford would have been defeated by all the fighters you mentioned and probably even stopped.
The fighters of the 80’s were a whole different breed of animal because of their sublime skill, boxing IQ, toughness, durability, stamina, power, ability to take a punch, as well as their ability to take punishment and dish it out, and their determination. Let’s start with Crawford vs Roberto Duran at welterweight.
Crawford vs Roberto Duran
Duran was closer to his peak and effectiveness in the welterweight division. Duran beats Crawford in my opinion because of his skill in terms of his offense and defense. I doubt if any of those jabs Crawford was catching Spence with would have landed on Duran and if you can’t establish an effective jab on Duran it would be virtually impossible to keep him off of you. Duran in his prime fought with skilled relentless savagery that I have never seen in this era of fighters or even in many fighters before the 80’s era.
Duran was equally if not more effective at evading punches while fighting on the inside. So I see Duran imposing his will on Crawford while fighting on the inside as well. Duran also employed a relentless body and head attack that would sap opponents of their stamina and strength. And on the rare instance that Crawford would catch Duran, I doubt if it would have had any real effect on Duran.
Duran has proven his ability to take a shot by taking punches from Leonard, Hagler, and Barkley while seeming virtually unfazed by those shots. And all those guys could knock you out with one punch. Some may say Crawford could employ the same strategy Leonard used the second time he fought Duran. But the problem is that was a weight-drained Duran and it is reported that he had to lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time and was literally forced into the fight by Don King while being ill-prepared. Crawford also doesn’t have Leonard or Durans defensive abilities. He doesn’t move his head often and because of that, he would have taken serious punishment in those fights.
Leonard also in my opinion had faster feet and hands than Crawford. So I doubt that strategy would have been as effective against a well-trained and ready Roberto Duran. Duran was also very good at cutting off the ring and closing the distance. If you can’t hurt Duran, or hit him, or keep him off of you he would be very difficult to beat.
I see Crawford taking a lot of punishment in that fight while being unable to dish out much in return because of Duran’s defense and relentless offense. Duran would have also been fighting at a torrid pace something that Crawford would have been completely unaccustomed to. Crawford is most effective in my opinion when he is allowed to pace himself and think he wouldn’t have been afforded that luxury with Duran or Leonard.
Notice the first Leonard vs Duran fight. Duran was a very intelligent fighter with sublime defense and relentless offense. I see Crawford being battered over the distance of the fight with a possible late-round stoppage. In my opinion, he takes a brutal amount of punishment in the fight on the way to a possible mid to late-round stoppage.
Crawford vs Leonard.
Much of what applied in the Duran fight applies here also. Crawford’s jab would have been taken away. His foot movement would have been insignificant because Leonard had faster feet. And he barely lands a punch in this case as well because of Leonards’s defense. Leonard’s bodywork and inside fighting would have been a major factor as well.
I think Leonards makes Crawford miss and counters him with fast hard punches for most of the fight and then begins to work his way inside with a relentless head and body attack that takes the steam out of Crawford and he eventually stops him. Evading one shot at a time is one thing. But evading 5-6 accurate shots at a time fired at blazing speed is very difficult to do. Rapid-fire combinations counters and defense would have had Crawford befuddled and frustrated in this fight in my opinion.
For reference take a look at the Leonard vs Floyd Mayweather Sr fight. Leonard broke that defense apart with rapid-fire combinations to the body and head. Bringing the hands down with bodywork and then going up top. And that was a green Leonard who only had 13 fights if I’m not mistaken. So he wasn’t at his best. And Floyd Mayweather Sr was a really good fighter tough and durable and underrated in my opinion he just came along at the wrong time had he fought in another era he would probably have been a champion.
The same thing would have applied in this fight. Crawford would have had difficulty landing on Leonard or hurting him. While being caught often and hurt himself. And both Leonard and Duran punched a lot harder and faster than Spence. They were far superior fighters than Spence in every dept. And that’s saying something because Spence is a really good fighter.
I think Crawford may have had a moment here and there in both of these fights but they would have been few and far between in my opinion with both Leonard and Duran quickly reasserting their dominance and taking control of the fight. I think Crawford’s limited head movement would have resulted in him taking major punishment in both of these fights and being koed in the mid to late rds and in the Hearns fight as well. The truth of the matter is as great a fighter as Leonard was we never got to see the best version of him because the detached retina resulted in him being inactive for quite some time. Time that could have been spent developing, growing, and peaking into an even better version of the already great Ray Leonard..
Crawford vs Hearns.
I don’t think Crawford takes much punishment in this fight because he would have been knockout in about 4-5 five rounds in my opinion. Thomas Hearns was the welterweight version of Deontay Wilder or the other way around he could put you in a coma with one punch. But the difference is he was also very skilled and defensively sound when he had to be or wanted to be. The weak chin myth is just that a myth. Every fight he ever fought and was koed in was because he fought recklessly and would tire himself out and then get hurt or koed while being extremely fatigued.
If you noticed in those fights he took punches well from Leonard, and Hagler while being fresh and was only koed after he was fatigued from the pace of the fights. The only fighters to ever beat Hearns were the ones who were willing to wade through concussive artillery to land their shots. They had to have granite chins like Leonard, Hagler, and Barkley. If you couldn’t take Hearn’s power and get past his jab while dealing with bombs bouncing off of your head when fighting on the inside the chances of you winning were probably very slim.
That would have been Crawford’s problem getting past Hearn’s long accurate jab and taking his concussive right hand and I just don’t think he could do that. Because he wouldn’t out-box Hearns neither Leonard nor Wilfred Benitez two of the best pure boxers in the history of the sport could do that so I doubt Crawford would be able to.
He would have to take the fight to Hearns and if you didn’t have a chin that would be suicide. Heck, it could be suicide in some cases even if you had a chin that’s how hard Hearns punched at welterweight. And if he did get past Hearn’s jab, Hearns was a great inside fighter also who knew how to roll with punches and slip punches while countering very well. I see Hearns eventually timing Crawford and catching him with that fast explosive right hand and that’s all Hearns needs.
And welterweight was his most effective fighting weight. Crawford’s lack of head movement would have been his undoing in this fight as well. Crawford is a great fighter for this era possibly the greatest fighter of this era but the older throwback fighters were just a different breed. They really were. I see a lot of mistakes Crawford makes that those all-time great fighters would have exploited with brutal efficiency. A lot of mistakes he makes in his fights he would have paid a brutal price for with that caliber of fighters.
They were also superb accurate counterpunchers who threw punches in bunches and would brutally exploit any weaknesses or openings. They were also tough, durable, fearless fighters who could take as much punishment as they could dish out.
Crawford has never seen any fighter with the skill, determination, instincts, defense, offense, versatility, activity, boxing IQ, stamina, power, and toughness, as these fighters but they have all beaten each other and they were all better fighters than Crawford. They all exceeded Crawford in every category I mentioned. And also to be considered great you must face the young lions in the division and defeat them.
There is a young lion called Ennis I think waiting in the wings. Marvin Hagler defended the undisputed title for 7.5 years beating back all challenges from dangerous and determined contenders in dominating and brutal fashion. You must defend the title against all threats to be considered great. And Ennis is a young threat that has to be defeated before you can call yourself the best in the division.
Crawford also comes across as a class act I also like the fact that he gives God credit for his victories and his abilities because God really did bless him with the ability to do what he does. He’s a great fighter and I wish him continued success. I also pray God protects him in his fights and ensures he comes out of the sport with all of his faculties and health intact. That’s for all the fighters who risk it all in the ring. And a great dominant win by Crawford a great champion. Congratulations.