Las Vegas, 13/09/2025 — On a night when the boxing world held its breath watching every blow, Saul “Canelo” Álvarez defeated Terence “Bud” Crawford by unanimous decision after 12 straight rounds, successfully defending his four super middleweight titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO). The epic fight not only created a stir in the ring but also made history in terms of revenue.
The three judges scored the bout 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, all in favor of Canelo. The Mexican boxer implemented an extremely reasonable strategy, focusing on attacking Crawford’s upper and lower body, slowing down his opponent’s movement and speed. Crawford still had plenty of moments to settle the ups and downs, especially his flexible fighting and counter-punching ability, but he couldn’t convert the ground for 12 rounds.
Financially, the fight set a series of records. Canelo received an estimated $150 million, of which at least $80 million came from his Riyadh Season contract. Crawford earned an estimated $10 million. Live ticket sales broke records, making the fight the third-highest “live gate” event in boxing history with nearly 65,000 tickets sold at Allegiant Stadium. Total revenue was estimated to exceed $128 million, thanks to a combination of tickets, broadcast rights and global promotion.
The event also caused a lot of debate. One opinion was that the 117-111 score was a bit off compared to the actual performance, as Crawford still performed well in many fights. On the other hand, the fight, which was broadcast exclusively on Netflix instead of PPV, has opened a new chapter for the boxing industry, although it makes detailed revenue statistics more difficult.
This victory continues to solidify Canelo’s position as the “king of super middleweight”, bringing his total career earnings to nearly $800 million. Meanwhile, despite the defeat, Crawford still proved his class as a top boxer, capable of facing any fighter in a larger weight class.
The Canelo-Crawford match will be remembered as one of the most memorable nights in modern boxing: where a champion used experience and courage to win, and at the same time opened a new era for both the ring and global revenue.
