Crawford tops Canelo to become undisputed super middleweight champ

Terence Crawford dethroned Saul Canelo Alvarez and rewrote a slice of boxing history Saturday night, outpointing the Mexican star over 12 rounds at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to become undisputed super middleweight champion. The unanimous decision, scored 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113, capped a sold-out card of 70,482 fans and was streamed to a global audience that Netflix said averaged 36.6 million viewers for the main event and 41.4 million over the weekend, figures the service called the most viewed mens championship boxing match this century.

Crawford, the 37-year-old from Omaha, climbed two weight classes for the matchup and used movement, accurate jabs and selective power to neutralize Alvarez’s size and experience. Compubox-like tallies showed Crawford outlanding Alvarez 115 to 99 overall despite Alvarez’s slightly higher punch accuracy. The result made Crawford the first male fighter to become undisputed in three weight divisions and immediately sparked debate about the significance of the victory and what comes next for both men.

Reactions were swift and varied. Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya praised Crawford’s performance on social media, calling it “beautiful,”...