Floyd Mayweather was not only the top pound-for-pound fighter of his era, but perhaps one of the greatest in history. Now retired, he is best placed to pick the heir to his throne.
‘Money’ Mayweather hung up the gloves in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record having demonstrated some of the most impressive defensive skills boxing fans have ever witnessed throughout his campaign.
With statement wins over the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya, the five-weight world champion has seen, and beaten, every style.
Many have made their case in this current crop, and Canelo was most convincing for some years. Over the last twelve months, three names have run clear of the rest: Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue.
All three are two-weight undisputed champions. For his money, Mayweather backs Crawford as the best, as confirmed in an interview with Brian Mazique.
“I think Terence Crawford, right now in the sport of boxing, is the pound-for-pound best fighter. It’s good to see him in the position that he’s in … Terence Crawford, continue to be great.”
Switch-hitting Crawford is a four-weight world champion from lightweight to super-welterweight, but will soon attempt to make that five by packing on 14 pounds to face unified super-middleweight king Canelo. Should he win when they face off in Las Vegas this September, there will be much less debate around whether or not he is the very best fighter in the world.
