Canelo Alvarez Says Terence Crawford 'Is Way Better Than Floyd Mayweather' on Video

Canelo Álvarez lavished high praise on Terence Crawford following their highly anticipated fight Saturday in Las Vegas.

Crawford became the undisputed super middleweight champion after winning a unanimous decision over Álvarez. In his press conference after the fight, Canelo asserted that Bud "way better than Floyd Mayweather."

Crawford pushed back against the association.

"Floyd was the greatest in his era. I'm the greatest in my era," he said. "It ain't no need to compare me to Floyd or Floyd to me."

Álvarez crossed paths with Mayweather in 2013, losing a majority decision and suffering the first defeat of his professional career. He has firsthand experience opposing the retired legend.

As with any sport, it's difficult to compare boxers across eras, even if the time gap between Mayweather and Crawford in this case isn't all that large.

With Bud, beating Canelo might at least be enough to say he's without peer among the current crop of stars. Beyond the fact Crawford is a champion in five different divisions, ESPN's Andreas Hale argued he has displayed a variety of styles en route to victory across his career.

"He can hand out a violent beatdown - as he did against Spence, Amir Khan and Jeff Horn — or he can outbox the opposition — as he proved against Canelo and Viktor Postol," Hale wrote. "There isn't much that he cannot do and he showcased every facet of his game against Canelo. Nothing has stopped him: Not weight, age or skill. He's among the best pound-for-pound fighters we have ever seen."

Crawford knew that Saturday's event was going to be a legacy-defining moment for him one way or the other. By coming out on top, the 37-year-old made a statement that's going to resonate for a long time.