Floyd Mayweather, a five-weight world champion who retired with a perfect 50-0 record, calls himself The Best Ever—and whether you agree or not, his accomplishments back up the claim. So when Mayweather speaks about boxing, his opinion carries weight.
Since retiring in 2017, the 48-year-old has remained deeply involved in the sport, taking part in exhibition fights and managing and promoting fighters. Recently, he was asked to name the best active boxer in the world, and his answer surprised some fans.
Instead of choosing Oleksandr Usyk or Naoya Inoue—the top two fighters in Ring Magazine and BoxRec’s pound-for-pound rankings—Mayweather picked Terence “Bud” Crawford as the best fighter in boxing today.
Mayweather’s take on Crawford
Speaking to Forbes’ Brian Mazique, Mayweather stated:
“I think Terence Crawford, right now in the sport of boxing, is the pound-for-pound best fighter. It’s good to see him in the position that he’s in. Terence Crawford continues to be great.”
Crawford, 37, from Nebraska, has an incredible resume. He is a four-weight world champion and a two-weight undisputed champion, boasting an unbeaten 41-0 record.
His next challenge? Moving up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez—a fighter Mayweather himself defeated back in 2013. The fight, set for September 2025, will be Crawford’s toughest test yet.
Crawford’s rise to greatness
Crawford made his pro debut in 2008 but didn’t claim his first major title—the WBO NABO lightweight title—until his 21st fight. His big breakthrough came in 2014, when he traveled to Scotland to defeat Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight championship.
From there, his career skyrocketed:
2015 – Became a two-weight world champion
2017 – Became undisputed at super-lightweight
2018 – Became a three-division world champion, winning the WBO welterweight title against Jeff Horn
Defended the welterweight title six times, defeating fighters like Amir Khan, Kell Brook, and Shawn Porter
Now, as he aims for a historic win against Canelo, Crawford has a chance to further cement his legacy—and Mayweather believes he’s already at the top.
