Fantasy Fight: Floyd Mayweather vs. Terence Crawford at 140, Who Wins?

Terence Crawford is considered by many to be a top 5 P4P fighter. Some have even argued that he is number 1 P4P which is debatable. He shares similar traits to that of Marvin Hagler and Mark Too Sharp with a little splash of Pernell. Many have said that he is the next superstar in boxing and there have been many who have said that he is the air apparent to Floyd's throne. After Crawford dominated Postol and Diaz a debate emerges as to whether Crawford is the next Mayweather. There have been many, in the boxing community, who have claimed that Crawford is just as skilled, if not a better overall boxer compared to Floyd. I was once in agreement with these claims but after watching every fight that Floyd had from 130 to 140, I have drawn the conclusion that Floyd was on a whole other planet compared to where Crawford is now and that says a lot since Crawford is turning 30. First, let's breakdown each fighter. 

Floyd: 
5"8 
72" Reach
Defensive fighter, great counter punching, beautiful footwork, good power in both hands, very accurate, solid chin, and very high boxing IQ(there are only three other boxers who have a higher one.)

Crawford:
5"8 
70" Reach
Switch hitter, good power in both hands, accurate, pretty strong at 140, suspect chin, good jab, fast hands, good ring IQ. 

Both started boxing at a young age and both had pretty good amateur backgrounds. Only difference is Floyd one a gold metal while Crawford didn't. Crawford seems to have a killer instinct and a great will to win. What's impressive about Crawford is the fact that he is able to adjust and pick his opponent apart. But, looking back at history there were many fighters who were able to do the same thing, Oscar, Chavez, Pacquiao, Ali, Duran, Pernell, Wilfred, Bhop, Roy Jones, Dempsey and many others. And to be quite honest with you some of these fighters didn't have to wait after round two or three to figure their opponents out. You see, Crawford is special but I've always felt that there comes a time when you should already be in control of a fight.You shouldn't have to take unnecessary hits before you have your opponent figured out because you might not make it to the second round. Now, Crawford has been able to get away with this because he hasn't faced any great punchers in his career nor has he faced an opponent that is able to cut off the ring. Now, things may change and Crawford might change this nasty habit but habits are hard to break especially when you are use to getting away with fighting with fire. 

Now, Floyd has everything that you want in a fighter. Great offense, elite defense, perfect balance, fast hands, athleticism, chin. He is literally, in my opinion, the perfect fighter. You could place him in any era and he would be top 3-5 P4P. He is great at making adjustments but before figuring his opponent out he doesn't take any punishment. He is like a martial artist, in the Bruce Lee sense, that he is able to slow down time and control his opponent and make his opponent over think. Now, a fight between Crawford and Floyd would be a chest match don't get me wrong. I just don't think it would be as competitive as many people think due to the fact that there is such a disparity in boxing skill. Based off the eye test, Floyd is the bigger and more athletic fighter. Floyd had better defense, head movement, faster hands, counter puncher, more accurate, less sloppy, and he also had pretty good power from 130 to 140 which people forget. I will also argue that Floyd was the better offensive fighter due to being able hit off awkward angles, over power his opponent, and he was great at fighting off the backfoot which Crawford is above average at. Although Crawford is the better switch hitter, he often times gets hit way too much and his footwork is good but not great. Experience would also be in Floyd's favor due to the fact that he faced superior fighters from 130 to 140. Now, I do understand that Floyd only had one fight at 140 and that Crawford has had at least four. But if you look at Crawford's resume at 140(including indongo who Crawford will beat i'm sure) none of those guys are even better than the out of prime Gatti that Floyd defeated. Plus from 130 to 140 Crawford hasn't fought anyone that compares to the guys Floyd had to face like Corrales, Cortley, Hernandez, Bruseles, and Castillo. Now, this isn't to knock Crawford since he can only fight who is put in front of him but this has to be taken into consideration when you are matching a great fighter against another great fighter. Yes, Crawford has made things look easy but if you were to place him in an era where there's Mosley, Gatti, Tszyu, Oscar, Pryor, Pernell and Judah, he wouldn't be able dominate due to the fact that he would be facing fighters just as skilled and better defensively. Floyd on the other hand would still be a top 5 P4P due to his phenomenal footwork and defense. Crawford on the other hand, would be another great fighter but he wouldn't be placed on a high pedestal like he is now. Although Crawford is great, the hype around him is based off the fact that he hasn't fought anyone great. He hasn't fought someone who can dish it out and actually adjust and hurt him. Floyd faced that when he was at those lower weight classes and I have no doubt that facing Crawford at 140 would be no threat to him whatsoever. the early rounds will be a little competitive but after that Floyd will just counter and pick Crawford apart due to being the superior boxer with better defense. I project 9-3 or 10 -2 Floyd. Now, there is still a chance that Crawford could change my mind. He could, possibly, go up to 147 and clear out that division but the chances of that happening is unlikely due to the fact that he isn't stronger nor does he have the capabilities of bouncing around and not getting hit. To break it down in a single sentence, Crawford is a great fighter but Floyd is a phenomenal fighter. We will see another Crawford before we will see another Floyd.