"Salute to u champ" - Shakur Stevenson lauds Canelo Alvarez following heart-wrenching loss to Terence Crawford 

Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford dared to be great in a sport where marquee matchups have become a rare sight. When the final bell rang at Allegiant Stadium, it was 'Bud' who emerged the victor, etching his name into the history books.

Amid Alvarez's heart-wrenching loss, Crawford ally Shakur Stevenson has come forward praising the former super-middleweight king.

Earlier tonight, Crawford outclassed the Mexican, using sharp counter punches, blistering speed, and slick footwork. After 12 gruelling rounds, he secured a unanimous decision, scoring 116-112 on one and 115-113 on the other two judges' score cards.

This feat makes 'Bud' the only male boxer in history to have captured undisputed world titles in three weight classes. While the fighting community lavished praises on the American for the monumental achievement, Stevenson made sure to give Alvarez his flowers, as well.

Stevenson, the reigning WBC lightweight champion and close friend and mentee of Crawford, took to X, writing:

"Respect to @Canelo. It’s a lot of soft fighters in the sport who [are] scared to fight against other great fighters, But salute to u champ, [for] not being scared to put it on the line against everybody.. U are a Legend!!

Check out Shakur Steveson's comments on Canelo Alvarez below:

Shakur Stevenson

@ShakurStevenson

Respect to @Canelo It’s a lot of soft fighters in the sport who scared to fight against other great fighters, But salute to u champ not being scared to put it on the line against everybody.. U are a Legend!!

Alvarez now holds a pro boxing record of 63-3-2 with his only defeats coming against Floyd Mayweather, Dmitry Bivol, and now Crawford. Following the event, the 35-year-old stated that he'd be game to run it back against 'Bud'.

Crawford, on the other hand, remained cryptic about his future in boxing. During his post-fight interview, when the topic of retirement came up, 'Bud' simply said he would have to sit down with his team to decide what was next.

However, given that Saudi Arabian minister Turki Alalshikh had requested Crawford not to retire after the Alvarez fight, fans might still see the boxing extraordinaire in the squared circle.