Opinions and Observations: Parker-Wardley

Throughout Saturday's heavyweight slugfest between Jospeh Parker and Fabio Wardley, I made mental notes on Parker's impressive moments. There's a hook off a jab. Here's five left hooks in a row. There's a right hand/left hook combination that landed on the button. How about that jab! That counter right hand was terrific. Parker did so many things wonderfully in the fight, yet in the 11th round, he was the one trapped along the ropes, hurt, with the bout being waved off. 

So, what happened? 

To be fair to Wardley, he had some impressive sequences of his own early in the fight, especially in rounds two through four. But I believe that it was the 10th round that showcased his unique attributes in the heavyweight division. In the first half of the round, Parker had his most dominating sequences of the fight. He was cracking Wardley with counter right hands and left hooks. On multiple occasions, it looked like he stood Wardley up with power shots. There, Wardley looked momentarily dazed, staring blankly into the middle distance, his feet not positioned to throw. 

Wardley (left) with Parker trapped along the ropes
Photo courtesy of Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions

I'm sure most fighters would assume after administering that kind of beating, that they would be in the driver's seat, that the opponent was on his way to being stopped. But it quickly became apparent that Wardley was far different from a typical opponent. 

Somehow after being battered throughout the round, Wardley was able to shake it off and march forward. He unleashed menacing power shots as if the previous punishment hadn't occurred. After a few short moments, now it was Parker hurt and diminished, stuck along the ropes. In one of the most thrilling rounds of the year, Wardley showed that he possesses almost superhuman recuperative powers.

The 11th round was a continuation of the end of the 10th, with Wardley unloading on a trapped Parker. Eventually, referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight (more on this later). 

Fabio Wardley has a singular story in boxing. A product of the white-collar boxing scene in the U.K., Wardley had no real amateur background and came to the sport late. During his development fights, he was a wild swinger who did all sorts of technical things wrong in the ring. His defense could be subpar. His footwork was ponderous. He would lean over his body while throwing shots, but the results were almost always the same: Wardley by knockout. 

But Wardley has improved under trainer Ben Davison's tutelage. Although I didn't have him winning Saturday's fight after the tenth round, I certainly thought that he was competitive. And this was against Parker, one of the best technical fighters at heavyweight, and an opponent with a significant punch. 

On Saturday, Wardley was able to land with snapping right hands. He connected with a couple of cracking, short right uppercuts and he had periods where his jab scored with regularity. He wasn't a gimmick fighter; he was performing like the solid heavyweight that he has become, with multiple knockout weapons and an irrepressible will. Despite his late start in the sport, he now has beaten multiple contenders and remains undefeated with a record of 20-0-1 with 19 knockouts. 

Wardley's last two fights have ended in second-half stoppages. He was down on the cards in both fights, but he was undeterred. And just as importantly, he has the conditioning to undertake physically grueling fights and still wind up on top. 

Perhaps this might not be the greatest recipe for a long career, but so what? Wardley wasn't expected to progress to this point. This is what he has to work with. And there's no blueprint of what a top heavyweight must look like or do in the ring, except win.

Who knows how long this ride will continue? He's won fights when well behind; he's prevailed as an underdog; and he's beaten fighters with far more pedigree. He continues to get stoppages even as he moves up the heavyweight ladder. He possesses a rare ability to carry late power. And this isn't like he's trailing in cagey fights where not much has happened. No, he's taking beatings, but he refuses to yield. And he will keep throwing his thunder. It's thrilling to watch. 

Wardley after the victory
Photo courtesy of Leigh Dawney/Queensberry 

If I can level one criticism of Parker, it's that too often he gets into shootouts. Let's go back to the tenth. He had already dominated Wardley throughout the first half of the round. Once Parker got tagged with a big shot from Wardley, he could have immediately tied up. Even with that one shot, Parker would still be well ahead in the round. 

But that's not what Parker did. Despite getting hit a lot at the end of the round, he still wanted to trade. He was trying to find that one big shot to hurt Wardley, to reverse the tide. He wound up giving back his edge in the round, and in the fight, even when he didn't have to. One could praise Parker for his self-belief, but maybe his performance illustrates his issues with over-confidence and not respecting his opponent enough. Parker had similar problems in his loss to Joe Joyce. He also could have boxed much more than he did in his grueling fights with Dereck Chisora. 

Parker usually likes to stay around the pocket, which he believes helps him because of his advantages with accuracy and his large punch arsenal. But the problem with fighters who linger a little too much is that they are hittable. 

I'm not suggesting that Parker stink out fights to win, but he needs to understand fight dynamics better. For example, Usyk is a master of knowing when he has a round won. And he will pocket that 10-9, wait out the round, and go after his opponent when the next one starts. Parker doesn't have the same impulses. He will be looking throughout all three minutes of a round to connect, even when he is well ahead. It's certainly not the best fight management strategy. 

***

After the fight I had this vision of Howard Foster standing at attention in the ring, saluting the Union Jack hanging from the rafters of the O2 Arena, a single tear sliding down his cheek. Yet again, he had performed for his country. He had done his part for The Crown. 

As far as Howard Foster stoppages go, Saturday's wasn't his worst (take a look at his performance in the Dubois-Lerena fight), but it was still bad, and as too often the case, his decision making helped the hometown English fighter at the expense of the foreign opponent. 

Although Wardley was unloading in the 11th round and Parker was hurt, there was no singular shot that necessitated Foster to stop the fight. Parker still had his wits in the ring. He was blocking or ducking a lot of the punches; he looked lucid. Foster's stoppage made perfect sense if a referee was looking for an opportunity to end the fight. But if an arbiter was more interested in seeing a fight play out to its natural conclusion, then that moment was not the place for a referee to insert himself. 

Of the referees who get high-profile assignments in the sport, Foster may be the worst homer. It's baffling as to why he is allowed to persist. Or maybe it's not. 

And this isn't an exercise in second-guessing. As soon as I saw Foster announced prior to the start of the fight, I made a note how this could help Wardley. And again, this was before a punch was ever thrown. 

I shouldn't have to know this about a referee. Officials like Foster hurt the legitimacy of the sport. Boxing deserves better. And as great a fight as Saturday's was, it was perhaps 90% of what it could have been. Howard Foster needed to end that fight when he did. He didn't have to. But, I guess...duty called. 

***

Let's not end this on a sour note. We all enjoyed a great fight on Saturday. Parker and Wardley continued the tremendous run of excitement in this heavyweight era. There's probably been over 20 heavyweight fights over the last decade that have been truly special affairs. Parker has already been in several, against Chisora, Whyte and Joyce. Wardley had that memorable first battle with Frazer Clarke. 

It's been a terrific era for heavyweight boxing. We've seen the cream rise to the top (Usyk) against champs and tough challengers. We've marveled at the journeys of relatively unknowns or supposed lessers, like Kabayel and Wardley, who have become true threats to the throne. Along the way, we've seen memorable upsets, great individual runs, and so many thrilling nights in the ring. Yes, there will always be the scolds who will tell you how things were so much better during yesteryear, but missing out on today's heavyweight boxing has been their loss. This current era has delivered time after time. It's been wonderful.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

2025 IBHOF Ballot

Here's my 2025 ballot for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. I selected Gennadiy Golovkin, Santos Laciar, Gilberto Roman and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

How to Take Away the Jab -- Ring Magazine

I have a new "How to Watch Boxing" column in the November edition of Ring Magazine. The column is about how to take away the jab and features perspectives from trainers Robert Garcia and Stephen "Breadman" Edwards. The magazine is available on newsstands now. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Notes from the Ennis-Lima Card

During the opening moments of Saturday's Jaron "Boots" Ennis-Uisma Lima 154-lb. bout, Boots fought in the orthodox stance. After a minute, he switched to southpaw. As soon as the switch happened, Lima started tagging him with straight left hands. But then Boots returned fire and they traded heavy artillery. In an exchange, Boots landed an enormous, winging left hand that instantly stunned Lima. Boots then followed up with a perfectly placed right hook to the chin, one that didn't even have his full force behind it; Lima hit the canvas. Lima would go down again later in the round and the fight was quickly stopped after Lima made it to his feet a second time, with Ennis unloading as Lima was trapped on the ropes. 

That first knockdown sequence illustrated the multiple facets that Boots possesses in the ring. He showed the ferocity of a big puncher, but the knockdown blow occurred from an almost surgically precise right hook. Even in a moment when bombs were flying, Ennis had the focus and poise to drop the perfect punch. That right hook more than anything else in the short fight impressed me the most; that was a finisher's punch. A lot of people can hurt a guy, but how many can take a little steam off a shot during a period of high adrenaline to land the coup de grace?

Photo courtesy of Matchroom Boxing

I have one important question regarding Boots and his ability to switch stances: Is he Terence Crawford or Danny Jacobs? By that I mean, did he switch because he saw something or knew something, like Crawford does, or was he switching just to switch, which is always a criticism I had of Jacobs. Just because one can switch, it doesn't make it the right move. 

Boots spends a lot of time fighting in both stances. To this point I'm not sure which stance is his best and I'm curious to know if he has a level of understanding about his own strengths and weaknesses. When evaluating Crawford, I always knew that he turned lefty when he wanted to be more defensively responsible. But I have yet to discern Ennis' patterns. Is he a gifted athletic puncher who can do all sorts of crazy stuff in the ring, or is he a boxing master who understands what will and will not work for himself or his opponents? Can one be both? 

To be determined. 

***

Every now and then you'll hear someone in boxing, usually a fighter, but occasionally a trainer, proudly boast that he doesn't watch tape of an opponent. Although these bold pronouncements are often met with disbelief and ridicule, I believe that there is a little something to this method of madness. I will never advocate for not studying an opponent, but make no mistake, the tape can play tricks on an observer and lead to a false sense of security. 

Case and point, in Saturday's Alexis Barriere-Guido Vianello fight, Vianello fought in a style that I had not seen him ever utilize in the ring. Barriere was supposed to be the puncher in the fight and Vianello had often featured his legs, hand speed and craftiness to win his big fights. 

Yet on Saturday, Vianello fought as the flat-footed slugger. He didn't concede the pocket or rely on movement. He methodically marched forward behind big shots. It's like he suddenly morphed into Anthony Joshua or Martin Bakole. He was there to take Barriere out. 

There's no doubt that Barriere and his team were spooked. Barriere, usually a front-foot slugger himself, had to resort to being a counterpuncher. And while he got some good work done, especially in the third round, by the fourth, he was sent to the canvas after a flurry of power punches. One round later, Vianello ended things with a cuffing right hand. 

It's unusual to see a fighter at the advanced stages of his career utilize a new style and do so with such success (Fury in the second Wilder fight is another recent example). Yet Vianello shocked Barriere with his audacious play. Vianello looked like a completely different fighter in the ring and made a big statement in the heavyweight division. 

What we thought we knew about Vianello was wrong. The tape can often paint an incomplete picture, an important point to remember about matchups. There is often a wide gulf of uncertainty in how a fight may play out. For the "styles make fights" crowd, here was an example of a guy completely junking his past style and obliterating all conventional wisdom about what was supposed to occur in this matchup. Just remember, we often know far less about boxing than we think we do. 

***

Although Ennis-Lima was mocked online after the card ended as an example of poor matchmaking, I'll say this: the event played well for the Philadelphia crowd in the arena. They loved how ferociously Boots went after and finished Lima. That heavyweight fight between Barriere and Vianello produced the goods. They loved the daredevil performance from Philly's Dennis Thompson in his win against Sean Diaz. Another Philadelphian, Tahmir Smalls, produced a couple of oohs and aahs from the crowd during his competitive fight against Jose Roman. 

It was a boisterous crowd on Saturday night and they got their entertainment. Sure, in a perfect world, Lima would have put up more resistance. But the Philadelphia fighters showed up and delivered. Boots was electric. Thompson and Smalls were easily in against their best opponents, and both performed well. If Boots-Lima had followed a drab, one-sided undercard, I bet the feeling in the crowd would have been much different. But those in Philly received value for their money. They went home happy.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

The Red Owl Boxing Vision

Here's something unusual from an upstart boxing promoter: "Before we started putting on fights, we wanted to build a facility, specifically for boxing." But this is the vision of Red Owl Boxing's President, Gabriel Fanous, who has built two boxing arenas, one in Ontario, Canada and another in Houston. With a background in entrepreneurship, investments and building sports facilities, Fanous believed that in order to be successful, the typical model for mid-tier boxing promoters needed to change. 

If you look around boxing, in whatever part of the world where you may live, the sport is populated with dreamers and schemers. There seems to be an unending supply of those who want to get into boxing promotion. They have lots of ideas. But what so many of them don't have is financial capitalization. So, what they are left with is lukewarm venue deals where if they are fortunate enough to pack the house, they might realistically break even or make a couple of bucks. It's not a sustainable way to make a living in the sport. 

"Unlike other people who decided to get into the sport," said Fanous, "the first thing I decided to do was build a facility. Let's have a place where boxing lives. Let's get rid of the variables that need to be involved in putting on a show in different places. Let's try to give fans a consistent experience. Let's build it for television and broadcast. Let's have a fun vibe in there. Let's invest in infrastructure of the sport." 

Gabriel Fanous (right) with former champion Shane Mosley
Photo courtesy of Red Owl Boxing

Fanous understands the value of real estate, of ownership, and of control. With his Owl's Nest in Houston, he has designed an arena to provide a first-class experience for those attending his shows and watching on TV. The venue was built to maximize the boxing experience. As part of the construction of the facility, he included plans for where television cameras should be placed and what could provide the best viewing environment and atmosphere for fans at the venue. 

And the ownership is important too. With a venue in hand, he could one day sell naming rights. He could rent it out for public or private events. With ownership, he has control over catering and vendors. He can capture various revenue streams that wouldn't be open to those who rely on renting a venue for boxing. 

It's not that Fanous views his approach as the way to make untold millions in the sport. He's OK if he breaks even in boxing for the time being; he has other businesses. But what he believes in is giving himself a chance to succeed with a firm belief that the current regional boxing model is broken. 

Now armed with two arenas, a broadcast deal with DAZN, and a belief in 50-50 fights, Fanous is starting to put his vision for Red Owl Boxing to work. 

How about another new idea? 

On each Red Owl card, he has three types of fights. The first is an Introduction Fight, where a skilled up-and-coming fighter is making his or her pro debut to the larger boxing public. The second fight is the "Redemption Fight," which is a take on the concept of the crossroads matchup. These fights will involve talented boxers who are coming off a loss or have had recent setbacks in the sport. The third fight is the "Crowning Fight," where two advanced prospects or young pros are vying to become a legitimate contender in a given division. 

With the branding of these three fight types, Fanous is trying to solve a problem for developmental boxing programming. The question he is trying to answer for viewers is why should they care about these fights or fighters? Fanous' answer is to communicate with boxing fans about expectations for every fight. He believes that the branding of these matches will help set the stakes for what will follow on the broadcast. 

"Everything that we're trying to do," said Fanous, "is to build consistency...in fan experience, in branding, in organization, and the people that we choose to work with." 

Another word that Fanous often says is "evolve." This applies to boxing as a sport and his own efforts as a promoter and provider of boxing content. Fanous looks at the current boxing media landscape and sees change and uncertainty everywhere. The sport is going through rapid disruptions in distribution and content providers.

Fanous believes that boxing needs to do a much better job of ensuring a compelling experience at an arena and on a broadcast, especially for smaller cards. And if you've been following Red Owl's fight cards on DAZN, you will notice a constant evolution in their broadcasts. The camera work is crisper. The audio and lighting are better. The broadcast pacing feels more organic. 

The Owl's Nest in Houston
Photo courtesy of Red Owl Boxing

Red Owl continues to tinker with its presentation. Fanous acknowledges that he's still learning. He incorporates feedback in terms of how to get to the next level. He has given a lot of runway to his matchmaker, James Bartley, in terms of making fights and identifying boxers who would be good candidates for longer-term deals.  

Fanous is also really enjoying what he's been able to build with Red Owl. "It's something that's so much fun," he said. "To have this platform to provide opportunities for people in their life to change their circumstances, it's a blessing. I've been blessed in my life. I'm just trying to pay it forward and do it in a fun way."

Although Red Owl is still only a few years old, Fanous is starting to look farther afield. On Friday, Red Owl will present a boxing card in Commerce California, at the Commerce Casino. The headliner pits undefeated lightweight Deonte Brown (16-0) against Grimardi Machuca (17-2). Other notables on the card include the rugged South California-based club fighter Saul Sanchez and the debut of U.S. Olympian Rashida Ellis.

Fanous openly admits that he may be looking to replicate his model in other cities, which means building from the ground up, and in his case, that also means literally building. 

"I'm trying to build a brand, said Fanous. "Nike is a brand. Apple is a brand. You walk into any Apple store around the world and you know what it looks like. You know what to expect. If I'm fortunate to build another Owl's Nest, let's say Philly for example, it's going to look exactly the same as the Houston one. I want people to recognize our brand. I want them to know what they are going to get. We need consistency in the experience and with fans' expectations. That's my vision for Red Owl Boxing." 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Boots Ennis Exhibition: A Win for Boxing

Something strange was afoot on Saturday afternoon in the Point Breeze section of Philadelphia: Boxing was actually promoting itself effectively. Jaron "Boots" Ennis held an exhibition at the Ralph Brooks Playground and a couple of hundred boxing fans turned out. 

With a DJ blasting music, a ring set up in the center of the park, sponsors giving out energy drinks, and local gyms donating their trainers and equipment for the day, the air was festive. Before any of the professional fighters arrived, members of the Front Street Gym held an exhibition in the ring and on the playground. Kids of all sizes were going through punching drills, hitting the heavy and speed bags, and practicing footwork exercises. Old-timers dressed in suits were on the periphery. Other fans hung out in the bleachers or conversed on the playground waiting for the star of the show to arrive. It was a reminder that Philadelphia is a genuine fight town. 

Photo by Adam Abramowitz

On October 11th, Ennis will make his 154-lb. debut after becoming unified champion at welterweight. He'll be fighting Uisma Lima, a little-known Portuguese-based fighter who's on a decent run in the division. This will be Boots' third fight at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, after successful outings against David Avanesyan and Karen Chuckhadzhian. Although Boots had spent years fighting away from his hometown, his Philly fights have drawn very well. While Lima's relatively anonymous status won't help sell tickets, events like Saturday's will. 

In talking with a Matchroom Boxing official on Saturday, the whole exhibition on Saturday cost somewhere around $10,000, and it was money well spent. In attendance were tons of people from the neighborhood, boxing fans from around the area, neighborhood outreach representatives from Comcast Spectacor (they own Wells Fargo Center), members of USA Boxing, the Pennsylvania athletic commission, representatives from city council and state senate offices, and others who help form the greater boxing infrastructure in the city. It was a great way to boost visibility for Boots' upcoming fight and raise the profile for boxing in the city.  

About an hour after the event started, the professional boxers started rolling in. Dennis "The Quiet Storm" Thompson, a 7-0 featherweight prospect signed to Boots Promotions, was the first to enter the ring. He'll be appearing on the card in a few weeks. So too will Jesse Hart, a Philly fighter and longtime contender in the sport at super middleweight and light heavyweight. Hart, while not showing his skills in the ring on Saturday, took the mic and displayed a genuine enthusiasm for reigniting his career. 

Boots displaying his skills
Photo by Adam Abramowitz

Boots then arrived on the scene, signing dozens of autographs on gloves and tee shirts before entering the ring. He had a line of well-wishers with photographers snapping his every move. Before he started to go through his brief training session, he was presented with the Ring Magazine belt for his accomplishments at welterweight and you could sense his pride as he held it in his hands. In an unscripted moment, his father and trainer, Bozy, held the belt and said, "It's heavy!"

Boots, wearing a sweatshirt on a muggy September afternoon, then went through a brief training session where he displayed his movement and quick combinations while Bozy and his brother Derek (better known as Pooh) took turns holding up the sticks. He addressed the crowd and urged people to support him on fight night. 

The event lasted just two hours or so and it was a smashing success. Of course, this begs the question as to why these events don't occur more often. Boxing is very vibrant in Philadelphia, as it is in many other cities across the U.S., and yet there's no escaping the reality that the sport doesn't frequently connect with the public as it should. Events like Saturday's help reinforce that boxing still holds a lot of appeal, and not just to well-heeled ticket buyers and sponsors. At its core, boxing is about the neighborhood gym, providing kids with opportunities, and teaching important skills about self-defense and life. 

The sport of boxing gets a lot of things wrong, and often on a daily basis. But let's remember that boxing can be a force for good. It can be grown. It can still connect. But the effort must be made to help cultivate a following. Saturday was a reminder that not all is lost. There are still a few who get it. I wish that they would get it on a more consistent basis, but that conversation is for another time. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Mike McCallum Article in Ring Magazine

I have an article in the September edition of Ring Magazine on former three-division world champion Mike McCallum, who died earlier this year. The article examines McCallum in the ring, his successes, where he was vulnerable, an analysis of his style, and his legacy. It's available on newsstands now or via digital subscription. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Opinions and Observations: Canelo-Crawford

Let's start by answering the essential question posed by Saturday's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Terence Crawford matchup: even though Crawford was moving up two weight classes from junior middleweight to super middleweight, his chin held up just fine. Whatever else Crawford accomplished in the fight, he was able to succeed because he could take Canelo's power. 

But even more telling, Crawford didn't show visible signs of distress from Canelo's power punches. He was never dropped or wobbled or seriously buzzed. He didn't have those rocky moments where he needed to survive or clear his head. Yeah, he got hit with some solid shots, but that had happened in other fights before. There was nothing particularly special to Crawford about Canelo's power.

Crawford after the fight
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/TKO Boxing Promotions

And once it became clear that Canelo didn't hold a significant power edge, the bout came down to simple math. Canelo mostly could only throw one punch at a time. And in the second half of the fight, where Crawford was more expansive with his offense, leading and countering with combinations, Canelo couldn't match Crawford shot for shot. 

In addition to Crawford's chin holding up, I also believe that his defense was as good as I can remember, and I haven't always loved his defense. Even Bivol was hit by Canelo with bigger shots than Crawford was on Saturday. Crawford essentially limited Canelo's home run bombs. Maybe Canelo landed one or two devastating punches, but most of what he landed were solid connects thrown more for accuracy than for destructive power.

*** 

Crawford started the fight with a basic offensive output. Exclusively out of the southpaw stance, he'd throw a jab, a single lead punch or a counter, but not much more than that. He was mostly on his back foot or using lateral movement to be evasive. He didn't want to show Canelo too much of his offensive arsenal, but he also didn't want to give Canelo much to work with either. His essential missions early in the fight were to ensure that his defense was on point and to observe what Canelo was bringing to the table.

By the sixth round he had seen what he had needed to see. He realized that Canelo wanted to lead with single shots and wasn't looking to counter. Crawford also perceived that once he countered a single Canelo power shot, that Canelo wasn't ready to counter the counter. Canelo also wasn't throwing combinations. Crawford was now ready to open up more. It was time to let the hands go.

In rounds eight and nine, Canelo decided to throw with more abandon. There were a number of fiery exchanges where both fighters had success. But by the 10th, Canelo was back to one punch at a time. He didn't want to deal with Crawford's five-punch combinations. He lacked the athletic agility to match Crawford and he had to protect himself from Crawford's incoming firepower. 

By the 11th round, Canelo was visibly frustrated. At multiple times in the round, he looked away from Crawford. Whether he was trying to eye his corner or just mentally reset, he understood that he was being outfought and he couldn't figure out how to turn the tide.

It was Crawford's work in the championship rounds that won him the fight on my scorecard and those of the judges. Flowing freely with combinations and multi-punch counters, Crawford clearly separated himself from Canelo during these rounds. He didn't just win them 10-9; they were easily the best rounds from either fighter in the match. 

Crawford celebrates with his team
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/TKO Boxing Promotions

It had been a long time since a fighter opened up on Canelo with four- and five-punch combinations. Clearly Crawford felt more than comfortable taking those types of risks. By the end of the fight, he had solved Canelo's defensive construct and mindset for the fight. His combinations dissuaded Canelo from countering with ferocity. In short, Crawford had tamed Canelo.   

As good as Crawford was late, Canelo wasn't summarily outboxed during the entirety of the fight. Like two of the judges, I scored the bout for Crawford 115-113 (the other judge had it for him 116-112). To my eyes, I had Canelo winning rounds 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9. Especially early in the fight, I was impressed by Canelo's hand speed with landing single shots. When they both were throwing one punch at a time, Canelo more than held his own. His left hooks to the body were punishing and he landed a few sneaky straight rights and right hooks that got Crawford's attention. 

***

In talking to a friend after the fight, we highlighted similar details from the bout. One key we both focused on was that Canelo could no longer counter like he once did. Now we may need to go back several years here, but there was a time when Canelo was among the best counterpunchers in the sport. Not only was he accurate but he was creative. He threw multi-punch counters with unusual punch sequences. He could be incredible in the pocket when someone came to him. 

But clearly Father Time and the higher weights have caught up with him. Though he was the younger fighter in the matchup chronologically, Canelo had hundreds of more professional rounds than Crawford and had endured many tougher fights in the ring. He just isn't the athlete that he once was. 

Furthermore, as Canelo moved up to 168, he had physical disadvantages that precluded him from being a counterpuncher. He was short and had short arms. He was dealing with much longer punchers who could pick him off from the outside. Thus, Canelo found a walk-down pressure style that suited him perfectly against super middleweights. The dimensions of his opponents didn't allow for Canelo to open up with threes and fours like he once did, but Canelo understood that the single, hard, well-placed shot could do a lot of damage. 

As he got older, he also refined other parts of his game. His defense became far more advanced. He also knew how to cut the ring off on an opponent with agile footwork, despite not having the best athletic ability. These additions to his game helped him offset the decline of his athletic gifts. Unfortunately for Canelo, against Crawford, more was required to win. Maybe the Canelo of the second Golovkin fight (a bout that took place at middleweight) could have done more with this version of Crawford. There Canelo actually outslugged Golovkin in the pocket through large stretches of the fight. However, that bout was seven years ago!

***

Whenever a fighter accomplishes the unfathomable, it takes a long time to process the achievement in an appropriate context. The absurdity of the same fighter winning a title at lightweight and super middleweight seems more myth-like than reality. But Crawford in fact has accomplished this. Even when considering recent greats who have made similar leaps through weight classes, like Pacquiao going from flyweight to junior middleweight or Ray Leonard going from welterweight to light heavyweight, those fighters took losses along the way, whereas Crawford's record remains unblemished. Even the great Roy Jones had a loss to Montell Griffin on his way from middleweight to heavyweight, and we can all agree that John Ruiz wasn't lineal or undisputed when Jones beat him. 

Crawford has not just won belts in multiple weight classes. He has been undisputed in three of them. He has settled the argument of his greatness in his era. He beat a guy in Canelo who had four titles at 168. In Errol Spence he defeated an opponent who held the other three belts in the division. 

You still won't see a long list of great names on Crawford's resume. He has a win over a clear Hall of Famer in Canelo and another over a solid candidate in Spence. There are several fighters such as Gamboa, Porter, Khan, Brook, and others who were sterling for the era but don't really have claims to be among the best boxers of their time.

So, much about Crawford is still subject to speculation. We know that among those he has fought, he has beaten all. There was a deep bench of welterweights when he was there and didn't have opportunities to fight Pacquiao or Garcia. The division he just left after one fight, junior middleweight, has tons of talented fighter. Would he have still remained undefeated against a few of those other top fighters? We will never know. 

But in those all-time conversations, it's time to add Crawford to the mix. A man who can be undisputed at both 140 and 168 lbs. has forced himself into all sorts of serious discussions. Is Crawford the best of his era? Which fighters are we sure can beat him from 135 to 168? These are of course parlor games, but they are the eternal conversations among boxing fans. Crawford is now in the historical category. He's a data point in comparison for how future fighters will be measured. His attributes must now be considered and measured against the best who have done it. 

But more than conjecture, Crawford is a fighter who has accomplished. He refused to accept the limitations placed on him by others. Never anyone's first choice for boxing stardom, or even greatness, Crawford ignored those who didn't believe in him and tore down those who stood in his way. He wouldn't be denied, by opponents, the boxing industry or even himself. He pursued a singular path to greatness and succeeded. His dreams were big, but his talent was even greater. He no longer has to worry about fantasy fights or what ifs. He has conquered.

Crawford is the supreme interloper of his era in boxing. He wasn't invited to the party, but he crashed it, leaving an impressive trail of wreckage along his way. No cash cow or beltholder has been safe near his presence. He has bent the sport of boxing to his will. He is a Hagler figure with a Ray Leonard pedigree, a package that has been unsolvable for any of his contemporaries. It is his reign. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

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