Julio Cesar Chavez Named The One Man Who’d Have Ended Crawford’s Perfect Record

There is, according to Julio Cesar Chavez, only one fighter who could have beaten Terence Crawford — and it is Floyd Mayweather. Chavez told Luis Parra that Mayweather’s defensive brilliance and style would have been enough to hand ‘Bud’ the first loss of his career.

Crawford retired undefeated in December, capping a remarkable run by adding Canelo Alvarez to an all-time résumé that already boasted Errol Spence Jr, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Amir Khan, plus undisputed reigns at super-lightweight, welterweight and super-middleweight. Inevitably, debate has since turned to the fights that never happened — and to the fantasy match-ups that will forever divide the boxing world.

I think that styles make fights, you know. Crawford is a great fighter, but if you look at who he has beaten, he has only beaten Canelo.

Would Mayweather Really Have Beaten Terence Crawford?

A meeting was never realistic. Mayweather walked away 50-0 after returning for wins over Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, while Crawford was still establishing himself at super-lightweight. Fans will never get a definitive answer, but Chavez has made his stance clear: Mayweather’s style, he believes, would have preserved that unbeaten record while inflicting Crawford’s first professional defeat.