“What’s better than being Undisputed? Being Undisputed two times. What better then being Undisputed two times? Being Undisputed 3 times in three different weights. Now argue with yo momma.”
Crawford clearly sees it differently. His argument is simple. Becoming undisputed once is rare. Doing it twice puts a fighter in special company. Doing it three times across three divisions gives him a résumé that does not need much defending.
That was Crawford’s response to anyone questioning the timing of his exit.
Some fans believe Crawford got out at the perfect time, before Ennis could become a bigger demand and before the top super middleweights started calling for him. Ennis is only part of it. Crawford’s retirement removed him from a line of contenders who would have forced those fights next.
While Crawford points to his three sets of belts as proof of greatness, a vocal segment of the boxing world sees those titles as shields rather than trophies.
The argument is that being undisputed today is as much about promotional maneuvering and sanctioning body politics as it is about being the best. To these fans, Crawford’s exit looks like a calculated retreat. By walking away now, he avoids a hungry Jaron “Boots” Ennis and a gauntlet of talented fighters 168 who had been ignored for years by Alvarez.
Crawford was allowed to fight for Canelo’s undisputed championship at 168 without facing any of the fighters at 168: Osleys Iglesias, Christian Mbilli, Lester Martinez, Diego Pacheco, and Hamzah Sheeraz.
A big part of the fan frustration lies in the “skip the line” culture. Fans argue that superstars are allowed to move into title fights without facing the established contenders who have been grinding in the mandatory positions. When Crawford beat Canelo, he took the throne, but he didn’t necessarily clear the room.
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