If Terence Crawford KO'd Clenelo @ 168, He's The GOAT.

I've already commented on the thread but I'll do so now with a historical slant.

Crawford beating Canelo puts him on the radar, for sure, but goat is a huge ask. A huge huge ask.

Here's my top ten:

Sugar Ray Robinson
Bob Fitzsimmons
Henry Armstrong
Ezzard Charles
Harry Greb
Sam Langford
Willie Pep
Muhammad Ali
Roberto Duran
Sugar Ray Leonard

When you compare Crawford with those, he'll have been lineal champ in 4 divisions from LW, LWW, WW, SMW. Impressive, absolutely, but is it as impressive as the achievements of some of the names on that list? Because the resume sure won't be as impressive.

Robinson arguably the GOAT WW and MW and we're it not for a freak of nature he'd have been LHW champ also.

Fitzsimmons MW, HW and LHW champion of the world. A 3 weight champion before it was cool.

Armstrong who proved superior to the reigning FW, LW, WW and MW lineal champions. In an 8 division era he proved better than half of the active champions.

Ezzard Charles who has beaten the greatest of the great in 3 divisions and despite being frozen out of the title picture managed to upset the odds and take HW gold way north of his natural weight class.

Harry Greb who in 1 year amassed a resume better than almost any other fighter in history.

Langford who dominated from LW to HW regardless of what title records tell you.

Pep who was absolutely untouchable until he broke his back in a plane crash.

Ali who amassed the best resume in the toughest division in history. A man who dominated two decades of HW history.

Duran who was the greatest LW in history before his ATG victory over Sugar Ray Leonard. And that's before turning back the clock against Barkley and Moore.

Leonard who manages to beat Duran, Hagler, Hearns and Benitez which just might be the best top 4 resume in history. Also was champion at WW, LMW and MW (forget the other two).

Does Crawford beat that list, if he beats Canelo, not for me.

Compare him with his modern peers. Pacquiao, Usyk, Mayweather, Hopkins, Jones Jr, Whitaker. His name isn't out of place with those guys, but is he head and shoulders above them?

Pacquiao who dominated from Flyweight to Welter
Usyk who has been lineal champ in the top 2 divisions, and done it more impressively than Holyfield did.
Mayweather dominated from SFW to LMW.
Hopkins had a legendary run at MW and then an age defying run at LHW.
Jones JR who achieved fistic perfection at MW and SMW before almost cleaning house at LHW and then achieving legendary status by schooling John Ruiz.
Whitaker who dominated LW to LMW and barely lost a round in the process.

GOAT is a ludicrous shout for me. But beating Canelo certainly puts him in the conversation.

 

Well Usyk did double that. Jones Jr did over double that. Mickey Walker jumped from WW to LHW in one fight and back again.

They're from the top of my head. There will be lots more who have.

As I've said, his career puts him in the conversation, but it isn't enough to make him GOAT.

 

Mickey did yeah. Michael Spinks also did it. Bob Fitzsimmons. Others that I can't immediately recall from the top of my head.

There's lots of 1 off snappy achievements that are unique to a boxer. But that doesn't make a GOAT.

 

Mickey Mouse?