Crawford or Mayweather is the debate dividing boxing

The question of which of the five-division world champions is the modern era's greatest will rage on, writes Steve Bunce

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Long before the ring had vanished and the seats had been placed in storage, Canelo Alvarez started a debate that will not easily fade.

An hour before the declaration, Alvarez had lost his titles and his position as boxing’s number one attraction when Terence Crawford fought a masterclass of power, patience and bravery to beat the Mexican idol. Crawford was brilliant, Alvarez had no answer at times and never offered a single excuse.

The streets of Las Vegas were still bright but about 70,000 had no idea what had happened in the ring; Crawford had made it look easy at times and all fears of him being overpowered were lost a long time before his fist was raised. It was magic in a city of fabled magicians.

Alvarez was dignified in defeat, perhaps realising that a professional career of 68 fights over a period of 21 years can take a heavy toll on the body, the soul and the mind. He held the microphone, coughed, paused and then, glancing over at Crawford, said: “Crawford is way better than Floyd Mayweather.” The words mattered because they came from the fallen king of the city.

In 2013, when Alvarez was only 23, Mayweather beat the Mexican and did it in style; Alvarez was given a boxing lesson in a fight that many believed would be the end of Mayweather’s time. The loss made Alvarez a better fighter and eventually boxing’s biggest attraction, and Mayweather simply carried on accepting fights that made sense, delaying other bouts and ignoring some entirely.