Terence Crawford reacts to punch he landed on Canelo Alvarez that went viral

Terence Crawford has delivered his verdict on the punch that went viral on social media following his victory over Canelo Alvarez.

Crawford jumped up two weight divisions to outbox Canelo earlier this month as he became the undisputed super-middleweight champion.

The American superstar punctuated his performance with a counter left hand in the final round that twisted Canelo’s head around, leaving the Mexican great with a shocked look on his face and sparking a frenzy among fans online.

But Crawford has now given credit to Canelo, claiming his opponent’s ability to roll with the punch prevented him from taking the full impact.

In a video shared by Netflix Sports, Crawford explained: “It was a great counter. But at the same time, Canelo being great as he is, he was actually rolling with the shot and anticipating me coming back with a right hook.

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“When you see him roll and then kind of roll the other way, he was anticipating me throwing another shot. It was a great shot, but it was great awareness by Canelo as well.”

Canelo took the punch cleanly but did not appear to be hurt by it as he fought on for the rest of the round.

The 35-year-old has never been knocked down in his 68-fight career thanks to his solid chin and defensive skillset, but he was unable to trouble Crawford as he slipped to his third professional defeat.

Canelo and Crawford were respectful towards each other after the final bell, and Crawford’s latest words indicate he still has plenty of admiration for his rival.

Both men must now decide on their next career move, with a rematch remaining a possibility.

Alternatively, Crawford could look to chase a world title in a sixth division at middleweight or retire with an undefeated record.

Meanwhile, Canelo has two fights left on the lucrative Saudi contract he signed earlier this year, and he is expected to return to the ring in early 2026.

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