Oscar De La Hoya has used Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford’s respective wins over Canelo Alvarez to name who he feels is the better fighter overall.
The most recent performance arrived when Crawford, who announced his retirement last month, dethroned the Mexican with a clear unanimous decision victory in September 2025.
Entering their super-middleweight showdown as a consensus underdog, ‘Bud’ showed that, on a purely skill-for-skill level, he was never going to be bested by his bigger opponent.
In fact, the issue of size hardly entered the equation as Crawford, who had jumped up from 154lbs, produced a masterful performance to become a three-division undisputed champion.
But while the 38-year-old certainly controlled proceedings from start to finish, so too did Mayweather, who claimed a majority decision victory over Canelo in 2013.
Despite a ludicrous 114-114 scorecard from CJ Ross, who has not officiated a professional contest since, Mayweather was able to dominate practically every round.
For balance, though, it must be said that Canelo, at this point in his career, lacked world championship experience and was most likely hampered by the catchweight limit of 152lbs. But then, it could also be argued that, by the time he fought Crawford, Alvarez was hardly the formidable force that he had become around five years prior.
Either way, De La Hoya has strongly suggested in an interview with FightHype that Mayweather, his former opponent, was the superior technician.
“Floyd Mayweather toyed with Canelo, like he literally toyed with him, he didn’t get hit at all, not one time. And Crawford, yeah, he’s more of a fighter-boxer – Mayweather’s more of a boxer – but I have to disagree [that Crawford was better].
“I think Mayweather is much more superior than Crawford, not just because he beat me and it was a close fight, or that I stepped in the ring with Mayweather, but I really feel that, technically, Mayweather’s a better fighter.”
With De La Hoya having fought Mayweather, and not Crawford, in 2007 – suffering a split decision defeat – it is perhaps only natural for him to side with the pound-for-pound legend.
The debate on Mayweather and Crawford – even a fantasy fight – will rage on, particularly now that both men boast a professional campaign with zero defeats when all was said and done.