A year ago this week, Terence Crawford produced his masterpiece. It was hard to find anyone in boxing or among long-time observers of the sport who viewed his showdown with Errol Spence for undisputed welterweight glory as anything other than a pick ‘em 50-50 fight.
Crawford destroyed Spence in a comprehensive, one-sided beat down. Spence hit the canvas three times — once for each of the three alphabet belts that were unceremoniously ripped from his waist. Crawford showed himself to be the complete fighting machine, with the brain to assess and breakdown his formidable foe’s weaknesses in the heat of battle, the technical prowess and skill to find those gaps and the cold spitefulness to do so remorselessly.
The ninth-round TKO was watched by an enraptured crowd at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Almost universally, Crawford was declared the best fighter in the sport, top of the mythic pound-for-pound rankings.
Heading into this weekend’s Los Angeles showdown with Israil Madrimov, where Crawford will seek to become a four-weight world champion, it is hard to find any list with 'Bud' at the summit.
The Sporting News has Crawford ranked third, in line with The Ring, while he is No. 2 with ESPN. So what’s happened?
Who is P4P No. 1 in boxing?
In simple terms, the 36-year-old falls short on what we’re going to call the Janet Jackson Principle aka. What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Men's boxing in 2024 has three outstanding proponents and, during Crawford’s year out of the ring, the other two have enjoyed defining victories.
Four days before Crawford beat Spence, Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue produced a similarly immaculate performance when he dethroned American’s WBC and WBO super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton. In December 2023, Inoue joined Crawford in becoming a two-weight undisputed king when he beat Marlon Tapales, while a thriller against Luis Nery in May this year — where 'The Monster' recovered from a first career knockdown to demolish a fellow knockout artist — further burnished his reputation.
A superstar in his homeland, Inoue remains a darling of the boxing hardcore globally. One man who has undoubtedly crossed over into the mainstream consciousness is Oleksandr Usyk. Like his fellow members of the top three, former cruiserweight ruler Usyk is now a two-weight undisputed champion after his historic win over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, giving the heavyweight division its first inarguable master since Lennox Lewis a quarter of a century ago. Recent events also suggest Usyk’s ninth-round KO of Daniel Dubois in August 2023, greeted fairly dismissively at the time and wrapped up in a low-blow controversy, might age like a fine wine. Dubois and two-time Usyk victim Anthony Joshua will meet for the now-vacant IBF title at Wembley next month.
Usyk and Inoue’s exploits at one and two make a solid case for the convalescing Crawford to be No. 3. At the same time, all of the big three are such majestic combatants that every time each one treats us to a demonstration of their skills there is a clamour for that fighter to return to the top spot.
If Crawford produces another banner display against a fine champion in Madrimov, that conversation will follow. However, elite pound-for-pound status is a mercurial thing. One wrong move and claims can be irreparably damaged.
MORE: Why is Crawford vs. Madrimov in LA part of Riyadh Season?
Is Canelo Alvarez P4P?
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez remains boxing’s most bankable star and is on a four-fight winning streak heading into his September showdown with Edgar Berlanga. At the turn of the decade, he was the consensus P4P No. 1. Then Dmitri Bivol happened.
Stepping up to light heavyweight the then-undisputed super middleweight champion was outboxed and out-pointed by a sublimely gifted champion in May 2022. Despite overtures from both sides, disputes around what weight a Canelo vs. Bivol rematch should be staged at mean the return has never happened. As Bivol prepares for his own undisputed clash with Artur Beterbiev at 175 lbs, the prospects of it ever happening are slim.
For those in the Crawford business, it will be hard not to spot Canelo-Bivol parallels heading into this weekend. Madrimov was sensational last time out when he dominated Magomed Kurbanov to win the WBA super welterweight title. He is a live dog in this fight, a 29-year-old in his prime and backed by an elite amateur pedigree.
Beat Madrimov and Crawford’s claims over being the best fighter in the sport will be bolstered once again and a fantasy matchup with Canelo will again – somewhat maddeningly – enter the conversation. But if Madrimov can do a Bivol, Bud could find himself banished from the top table for good. When the very best like Usyk, Inoue and Crawford reach the standards they do, these are the unforgiving margins they set for themselves.