Eddie Hearn attends a press conference on May 27, 2025. IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

Eddie Hearn Picks Undisputed Champion Over Terence Crawford As Pound-For-Pound King

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Apratim Banerjee | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Eddie Hearn doesn't rate Terence Crawford as the pound-for-pound number one despite his recent win against Canelo Alvarez. Crawford moved up two weight classes and handed Canelo a unanimous decision loss, the Mexican's first defeat at super middleweight.

'Bud' is now the undisputed champion at 168 lbs. He is also the first male boxer ever to become undisputed in three different weight classes. Crawford previously achieved the feat at 140 and 154 lbs. Apart from that, the Omaha native is only one of the few select boxers to ever hold titles in five different weight classes.

The accolades keep flowing for Crawford, who will hands down be considered among the greatest fighters of the modern. However, he is not the greatest of this generation in Hearn's books.

Terence Crawford snubbed by Eddie Hearn

Hearn ranks Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight champion, above Crawford as the pound-for-pound leader in the world. The Matchroom Boxing head is still skeptical of Crawford's resume despite the win against a legend like Canelo.

Speaking to iFL TV , Hearn said, "Who has Crawford beat from the pound-for-pound list? The answer is Canelo Alvarez, and maybe Errol Spence at the time who was somewhere near the back end of the top 10 at the time, but when he fought Shawn Porter, when he fought Kell Brook, when he fought Amir Khan, when he fought Gamboa, it’s important that you get what I’m saying."

"I think he’s the most skilled fighter on the planet. It’s not his fault, he could have beaten those real elite guys in his prime, but he never got to fight them. And then I look at Usyk and I go Fury, who I believe was in his prime, right at the top of his game, AJ, two or three years ago, Dubois who is a young man and particular the second victory against Dubois when he was firing on all cylinders, but even when I go back to cruiserweight, he was beating those guys in their back yard. He pips it, but it’s very close.”Eddie Hearn

Ranking Terence Crawford and Oleksadr Usyk's resume

Usyk has beaten some top heavyweight and cruiserweight contenders during his career. He holds two wins each against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois. The Ukrainian is also undisputed in two different weight classes, cruiserweight and heavyweight.

Meanwhile, Errol Spence, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, and Canelo are among Crawford's best wins. It's hard to compare their resumes considering the different weight classes. One thing is for certain, both are bona-fide legends and must-watch TV when they are in action.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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