Are Andre Ward and Terrence Crawford Underrated?

No. Ward is rated just right from what I've seen, and Crawford is one of the most overrated fighters ever at this point. Trash resume, against average guys or guys with massive asterisks next to their names, one of the worst weight bullies in the sport, often praised for mediocre performances (Madrimov, Porter), retired to avoid defending his belts against some real competition his own size. Now he's just a twitter queen trolling anyone who offends his fragile ego.

 

Well said. Can't argue that.

 

There's a cult-like energy about certain modern fighters and fights. Golovkin and Lomachenko are two whose legacies are done no favours by those who try and repaint every close fight as a robbery. Who whisper conspiracy. Ward is often on the receiving end of these cults, for fighting dirty, for being given gifts, for always fighting in his hometown. You get this silly 'burn him at the stake' uproar, which - low blows or not - forgets that Kovalev was absolutely on his way to losing that rematch. Who - past prime or not - had had the fight beaten out of him. Yes, if anything, Ward is a little underrated. Short career but some nice wins.

Crawford, as talented as he was, went through a long list of so-so and stale fighters. The 'Who's the best prime fighter you beat?' is the classic question to grill Mayweather's record. It's almost cruel to level the same question at Crawford's career. Yes, when you fight a fighter is sacrosanct. It's when a fighter is that fighter. Imagine Crawford had beaten Canelo before Bivol? Now, it still wouldn't have been quite as great a win as the hysteria that would've likely followed, but it would have meant much more than defeating that creaky, slowing, Benavidez-avoiding Canelo, whose undisputed status was politics-dependent.

Historically, Crawford is likely going to rate near guys we'd easily favour him to beat. That's the difference between ability and greatness. His legacy must rest on his dominance, because a jaded Spence and a jaded Canelo are far from awe-inspiring. I don't see how he rates above his P4P contemporaries, Usyk and Inoue, both of whom have beaten a higher volume of decent, primed fighters. If a fighter is well-removed from his prime, then weight-hopping doesn't do much to improve things. It's why Canelo knocking out Kovalev won't be remembered as a great win either.

 

Terrific.

 

I'm sure you'll walk this post back if Canelo beats Mbilli and Sheeraz in the next 9 months, right?

 

This is a very accurate reply.