Is Crawford vs Spence A Top 5 ATG Performance At 147?

As an individual performance, though, I think the magnitude of the fight and the way Crawford won is being overlooked here; I've probably framed the question badly as well. Spence was number 4 pound for pound, still undefeated, unified two belts in the division, and retained two of his belts after the car crashes, not to mention he's younger than Crawford; it was as close to a 50/50 for many people. I remember in the build-up there was a poll on YouTube with about 80,000 votes that was 51% Crawford and 49% for Spence.

So, for instance, I'd definitely have Hearns vs Cuevas in there; it was an obliteration. Mosley vs De La Hoya is one for the ages, an incredible fight, but they were very well matched, and it was a great back-and-forth fight for 12 rounds. Pacquiao had Marquez down and was ahead on the cards in the 4th fight, so I'd have neither of those as standalone top 10 ATG performances at 147.

Forrest vs Mosley is another one; it was a very impressive win, but I still think Crawford's win over Spence ranks above it as a standout performance, and I think it'll be looked at more favorably in years to come given how definitive it was this decade.

 

Yeah, to be fair, anyone who is in this discussion is at least a world level fighter of their era. McCrory was good, but I was never that impressed with him from the fights I watched; admittedly, I have only seen the 2 Jones fights, the McCallum fight, and the Curry fight in full, and a few highlights.

He had limitations, as did Spence, but Spence reached a higher ceiling, I think. Olympian, beat an undefeated champion overseas in his own backyard, unified the division, had multiple wins against top-5 names at 147, and a shutout against Mikey Garcia, even though Garcia had no business at that weight; still a solid win. I think once the dust settles, his career will be looked at more favorably; it's still raw at the moment because of the manner of his last 2 defeats.

McGirt is a legend, but I think he peaked around the time of that first Sweet Pea fight; he never really looked as good after getting that horrible rotator cuff injury, and probably made it much worse by fighting through it. He was lucky to get the nod against Coleman before the 2nd Whitaker fight, and then got knocked out by Andrew Council, who was really nowhere near his level. Spence lost a clear but fairly competitive 12-rounder against Tsyzu, especially in the mid-rounds, who is considered a top 10 name by some at 154/160.

I won't argue that Spence was the same fighter, but I think he's unfairly critiqued. He was ranked higher P4P than McGirt was going into the Crawford fight, hadn't lost, and hadn't even been knocked down.

 

Yeah, on paper I can see the argument, but I think Floyd waited for Pacquiao to slow down, and once Marquez had knocked him out cold it was clear that he had lost a step or two. It was also a pedestrian decision, almost like an exhibition, and I think most people in the know fancied it to go that way. Floyd was the favorite going in.

It wasn't a total massacre like Spence vs Crawford, Hearns/Cuevas, or Honeyghan/Curry. Manny is a greater fighter than Spence, definitely, but as a one-off standout performance, I think I would put Crawford and Spence above it, both undefeated, belt holders, and the manner of the brutality puts it on a different level, at least for me, I can see why someone else would think differently in the broader context of both fights.