Who is more skilled, Canelo or Crawford?

[MONGOOSE66]

Who is more skilled at their best weight?

I have yet to see Crawford meet a PRIME Mayweather, Cotto, Lara, Trout, GGG type fighter. He’s fought some decent fighters but NONE of that quality. Exception is Porter. He’s a tuff guy to look good with.

[deathofaclown]

Crawford maybe more naturally gifted

Not that Canelo isn’t, you don’t become elite without some gifts, but a lot of his ability comes from pure dedication to his craft to improve all the time. Not that Crawford hasn’t put the work in too, of course there’s always elements of both.

Just with Canelo you have been able to clearly see vast improvements and additions to his skill set over time through practice and hard work. With Crawford it seemed he already had most of his tools from the start and has honed them over the years.

But it’s hard to go against Canelo when he’s proven it against top fighters (even with some gifts along the way like the GGG fight).

Im a big fan of Crawford as a boxer but his best win is arguably Porter who had already lost to other top Welterweights when he was fresher.

I always prefer to go on proof, not eye test.

[PRINCEKOOL]

Skill for skill, Crawford is the better fighter. If the discussion is just about skills.

But? I think Alvarez is naturally more durable, and has greater punching power.

Those are the only two attributes he has over Crawford. In every other department, Crawford is the better fighter 'But not by much'.

Speed, Movement, Creativity, Endurance, Tactical mind? They both are very close in this department. I would actually say that Alvarez, has been more extended during his fights.

But Alvarez's tactical abilities have also been ineffective at times. I will once again go back to the Floyd Mayweather Junior fight.

Alvarez not at any point in the fight, showed any signs of altering his game plan. He ether did not know what to do, or was unable to do it.

Crawford's tactical abilities have not really be extended much by his opponents, so I can only rate them as level in this department.

Note: Durability and punching power are definitive attributes. I would not be surprised if Crawford was decked in the future. I don't think his durability has been put under sustained bombardment. Crawford does seem like a extremely game fighter, so if he is ever decked 'I think his gameness will overcome the situation' pretty much like Deontay Wilder.

[Dean_Razorback]

crawford has better footwork, everything else goes to canelo

[i love boxing]

Canelo is the most skilled active boxer period

[Dakuwaqa]

Crawford is probably more skilled.

Canelo is significantly more durable and has one of the best chins in boxing.

He also has a WAY better resume and is constantly fighting champion after champion. 3 fights a year too.

[HENNY]

Canelo slightly. Crawford could switch hit, which is a very tough skill to effectively learn. But, he does get hit more. Canelo has better defense. Which is just as impressive since Canelo is able to avoid shots at the mid to close range. Avoiding shots at a distance is already tough, and Canelo is able to avoid shots at a range where it's extremely difficult to do so.

Both are skilled in their own right. It's not like Canelo could switch hit just as well as Crawford, or Crawford could roll and avoid shots in the pocket as well as Canelo. I'd go slight advantage to Canelo since he's doing this against better competition

[tritium_arma]

Crawford better offensively, barely. Canelo better defensively.

[ELPacman]

I enjoy watching Crawford fight but a lot of times he had to will his way through them by simply overpowering his opponent.

I think Canelo, beef steaks aside, he has skillz. His defense is pretty solid and there are a lot of fighters that just have difficulty hitting him flush or enough times to do any type of damage to him. He's also very good at picking his spots and finding those body shot openings. So again, whether he was on radioactive steaks or not, I can still appreciate the skills he puts on display.

Crawford has never really wowed me with skills but wow'd me at how he can keep his foot on the gas and simply overwhelm or out muscle his opponents even after they give their best to do the same to him. His will to win is just greater.

[Dark night 24]

It’s hard to tell.

You have one who has been more exposed to a multitude of styles and a bunch of guys who he was “ducking”. Taking different deals with different promoters to make fights happen. This will in turn make the fighter look more vulnerable.

You have a guy, since he was 22 years old, and throughout his 20s, exposed to elite level competition. Mayweather, Trout, Lara, GGG 2x, Jacobs, Cotto. And not only that, but expected to do way more, and expected to beat all of them, and if they’re close fights he gets clowned on.

In his 30s, he continues his bashing of top 10 ranked fighters who aren’t good enough for his critics. Callum Smith, Kovalev, Saunders, and a tough fight with Dmitry Bivol next.

Then the other guy has looked totally remarkable vs the likes of top 10 ranked fighters like Gamboa, Burns, Beltran, Postol, Porter, Kavaliouskas. Yes, looked better than those fighters than Canelo looked vs some of the elites he has faced. But again, when you are exposed to elites, you will look more vulnerable. Imagine 22 year old Crawford vs fighters like Mayweather and Lara.

Easy to sit back and criticize the guy who fights the better opposition.

I’ve yet to see prime Canelo hurt like Gamboa and Kavalioukas hurt prime Crawford.

Good post agree 100%