Terence Crawford proved why he’s one in all – if not the – biggest pound-for-pound fighters on this planet after successful a world title in a fourth division.
Crawford secured a unanimous determination victory over Israil Madrimov to steal his junior middleweight title Saturday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, placing the Omaha, Nebraska-born fighter within the league of greats who’ve received belts in 4 totally different weight courses.
Crawford received his first title in 2014 when he recorded a 12-round unanimous determination over Ricky Burns. A 12 months later, he moved as much as 140 kilos to knock out Thomas Dulorme in a junior welterweight title showdown.
After changing into an undisputed champion at junior welterweight three years later, Crawford jumped to welterweight to knock out Jeff Horn in June 2018 to earn a 147-pound belt.
Crawford then consolidated all 4 titles at welterweight in a unification megafight in opposition to Errol Spence Jr. final July, earlier than opting to face Madrimov for his title at 154 kilos. The feat etches Crawford’s identify onto the checklist of fantastic fighters who’ve received 4 (or extra) acknowledged world titles or lineal championships in several weight courses.
Beneath is an inventory of the fighters who’ve achieved the accomplishment within the final three a long time.
Adrien Broner
Broner turned a four-division titleholder in 2015 when he received a vacant junior welterweight belt in opposition to Khabib Allakhverdiev. Previous to that win, Broner had received junior light-weight, light-weight, junior welterweight and welterweight titles.
Broner achieved the feat in an area of 4 years (2011-2015) and, at age 35, continues to be lively at 147 kilos.
Miguel Cotto
Puerto Rico’s Cotto, who turned professional in 2001, managed to annex world titles in 4 divisions by 2014, on the age of 33. Cotto received a junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and lineal middleweight title throughout a 16-year profession span.
The retired Cotto – thought of one of many biggest fighters in Puerto Rico’s wealthy boxing historical past – confronted the most effective fighters of his period, together with Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Antonio Margarito.
Nonito Donaire
From a nation that has additionally produced Pacquiao, Ceferino Garcia and Pancho Villa, amongst others, Donaire is one the Philippines’ best-ever fighters. Between 2007 and 2014, the “Filipino Flash” has received at the very least one title at flyweight, bantamweight, junior featherweight (together with the lineal title) and featherweight.
Inside this era, Donaire has fought different one-time titleholders equivalent to Guillermo Rigondeaux, Naoya Inoue, Carl Frampton and Jessie Magdaleno. At 41 and following defeats in every of his final two fights, Donaire is considering retirement.
Roman Gonzalez
Having achieved a rarified stage of proficiency in his 19-years-and-counting profession, “Chocolatito” Gonzalez might be challenged for supremacy amongst Nicaraguan fighters solely by former three-division champ Alexis Arguello. The 37-year-old Gonzalez not too long ago returned to his successful methods final month, after shedding his junior bantamweight crown to Juan Francisco Estrada in December 2022.
Gonzalez, who turned professional in July 2005, has held belts at minimumweight, gentle flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight. He’s the primary boxer from Nicaragua to win titles in 4 divisions, surpassing even his idol Arguello.
Juan Manuel Marquez
You possibly can’t speak about the most effective Mexican fighters lately with out mentioning Marquez’s identify. He represents an beautiful mix of technical proficiency, ring intelligence and his residence nation’s hard-nosed preventing model.
Between 2003 and 2012, Marquez received featherweight, junior light-weight, light-weight (together with lineal) and junior welterweight titles. Now 50, Marquez final fought 10 years in the past, when he earned a 12-round unanimous determination win over Mike Alvarado.
Famous for going toe-to-toe with eight-division champion Pacquiao on 4 totally different events, Marquez additionally fought the likes of Mayweather, Marco Antonio Barrera, Joel Casamayor, Timothy Bradley Jr. and Orlando Salido.
Roy Jones Jr.
Contemporary off successful silver at Seoul Olympic Video games, Jones, from Pensacola, Florida, turned professional in 1989 and has been preventing – in some type or style – nearly ever since. Most not too long ago, in April 2023, at age 53, Jones fought to a majority determination loss in opposition to then-36-year-old blended martial artist Anthony Pettis in his boxing debut.
Jones, a six-time world titleholder in 4 totally different weight courses, earned belts at middleweight, tremendous middleweight, gentle heavyweight and heavyweight between 1993 and 2003.
Naoya Inoue
Having already dispatched elite opponents equivalent to Nonito Doniare, Stephen Fulton, Marlon Tapales and Luis Nery, “The Monster” at the moment reigns as undisputed junior featherweight champion and one in all boxing’s greatest pound-for-pound fighters.
Japan’s Inoue (27-0, 25 KOs) has held gentle flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight and junior featherweight titles – the final two by which he consolidated the belts to say undisputed standing. Inoue is scheduled to place all his 122-pound titles on the road in opposition to TJ Doheny subsequent month in Tokyo.
Oscar De La Hoya
De La Hoya introduced himself to the world in 1992, first on the Barcelona Video games after which as an expert. He made historical past, at age 24, by changing into the youngest fighter ever to win world titles in 4 totally different weight divisions.
De La Hoya received his first title in 1994 when he received a junior light-weight belt. By 1997, he would add light-weight, junior welterweight (together with lineal) and welterweight titles.
The Los Angeles native completed his profession as a six-division champion after successful lineal titles at junior middleweight and middleweight. De La Hoya confronted fellow multiple-division world titleholders equivalent to Julio Cesar Chavez (twice), Pernell Whitaker, Shane Mosley (twice), Pacquiao and Mayweather, shedding to the latter three solely within the closing, declining stage of his profession.
Manny Pacquiao
The delight of the Philippines, Pacquiao, is the one fighter in historical past to have received world titles in eight totally different divisions. Between 112 to 154 kilos, “PacMan” dominated weight courses throughout flyweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior light-weight, light-weight, junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight.
He achieved the outstanding file between 1998 and 2010, dealing with robust opposition from the likes of Erik Morales, De La Hoya, Marquez and Mayweather, amongst others. Pacquiao, 45, is at the moment contemplating popping out of retirement to tackle welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather is thought for operating the desk to complete his profession with an undefeated file (50-0, 27 KOs), however what made the accomplishment all of the extra extraordinary was his doing so throughout a breadth of divisions – together with 5 by which he received world titles.
With the lineal junior light-weight, light-weight, welterweight and junior middleweight titles, plus a junior welterweight belt, to his credit score – earned between 1998 and 2007 – Mayweather stays one of the adorned fighters in boxing historical past.
Generally criticized for cherry-picking opponents within the later levels of his profession, Mayweather deserves immense credit score for dealing with – and besting – the strongest opposition from his period, together with Pacquiao, De La Hoya, Mosley, Marquez, Cotto, Alvarez and Ricky Hatton.
Bernard Neequaye is a sports activities journalist with a specialty in boxing protection. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” again in his native Ghana for years. He might be reached on X (previously Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and thru e-mail at bernardneequaye@gmail.com.
