Error code: %{errorCode}
Mayweather, Pacquiao: The exclusive club Crawford can join by beating Canelo
Terence Crawford is just days away from the biggest fight of his career when he faces Mexican great Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas on September 13.
The unbeaten American is set to jump up two weight divisions to challenge the undisputed super middleweight king as he bids to become a five-weight world champion.
Crawford first won a world title at lightweight by beating Ricky Burns in 2014 and now has the chance to rule the world at 168lbs.
It would be a remarkable feat, and one that has only been achieved by five other male fighters in history.
Let’s take a look at the other legendary boxers to win titles in five different weight classes.
Thomas HearnsGetty Images
Thomas Hearns was one of the anointed ‘Four Kings’ in the 1980s, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.
Hearns stood at 6ft 1in tall but somehow boiled himself down to the welterweight limit of 147lbs where he won his first title at the age of 21 by knocking out Pipino Cuevas in the second round in 1980.
Due to his huge frame it was clear that the big-punching Hearns was not going to stick around at welterweight forever. He moved up to super welterweight to stop Wilfred Benitez and pick up the WBC and Ring titles in 1982.
It would be another five years before Hearns won a world title in a third weight class as he opted to go all the way up to light heavyweight to challenge Dennis Andries for his WBC crown in March 1987. Once again, the fight didn’t go the distance as Hearns forced a finish in the 10th round.
Later that year, Hearns went back down to middleweight to win the WBC belt off Juan Domingo Roldan.
In November 1988, Hearns earned a title in a fifth division by outpointing James Kinchen.
It is a testament to Hearns’ longevity that he went back to light heavyweight to win another title against Virgil Hill in 1991 – 11 years after claiming his first belt.
‘The Hitman’ finally retired in 2006 with a record of 61-5-1 (48).
Mike Powell /Allsport
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard reached the pinnacle of amateur boxing when he won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
He switched over to the professional ranks and won his first championship belt at welterweight three years later when he stopped Wilfred Benitez in the 15th and final round.
After adding The Ring belt to his collection by beating Roberto Duran in their famous “No Mas” rematch, Leonard moved up to super welterweight to stop Ayub Kalule and rule a second division.
It looked like Leonard would have to settle for being a two-weight champion when he retired in 1984 due to an eye injury, but he was tempted back to the ring to take on Marvin Hagler for his middleweight titles.
Following a three-year layoff, Leonard upset the odds to win a majority decision against Hagler in one of the biggest fights of the 1980s.
And he took on another challenge straight away as he faced Donny Lalonde for the WBC super middleweight and light heavyweight belts in his next fight.
Lalonde dropped Leonard in the fourth round but was unable to capitalise and Leonard came firing back to stop his rival in the ninth.
The victory left Leonard with titles in two divisions simultaneously and meant he became a five-weight champion.
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya also got to stand on the top step of the podium when he won Olympic gold at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
He was subsequently nicknamed ‘The Golden Boy’ and it was always going to be a matter of time before he became a champion as a professional.
Less than two years after tasting Olympic glory, De La Hoya won the WBO super featherweight title thanks to a 10th-round knockout win over Jimmy Bredahl.
He picked up the same organisation’s strap at lightweight the following year with a decision victory over John-John Molina, and then claimed the WBC belt at super lightweight in 1996 when he stopped Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez.
A fourth title followed at welterweight less than a year later as De La Hoya outpointed Pernell Whittaker.
De La Hoya had to wait until 2001 to become a five-weight champion when he beat Javier Castillejo on points to win the WBC super welterweight title.
De La Hoya would go on to create history by earning a world title in a sixth weight class in 2004. He was controversially given the nod over Felix Sturm in their WBO middleweight clash but lost the belt in his next fight against Bernard Hopkins.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather is another Olympian who was always destined for the top. Just two years after winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, he took the WBC super featherweight title from Genaro Hernandez via eighth-round stoppage.
Mayweather took his time before controversially outpointing Jose Luis Castillo to claim lightweight gold in 2002.
He would then deliver one of the most dominant performances of his career to stop Arturo Gatti after six rounds with the WBC super welterweight title on the line in 2005.
Mayweather followed that up by making the welterweight division his own – a run that began by beating Zab Judah on points.
A shot at achieving the status of five-weight champion came about in 2007 when Mayweather took on Oscar De La Hoya for the WBC super welterweight belt.
De La Hoya started well but faded in the latter rounds, allowing Mayweather to take over and get his hand raised at the final bell.
Mayweather moved back down to welterweight before jumping back up again to outclass Canelo Alvarez over 12 rounds in 2013.
He stepped away from professional boxing in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record.
Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao is in a league of his own when it comes to being a multi-weight world champion. His record of winning titles in eight separate divisions will surely never be matched, let alone beaten.
He won his first belt down at flyweight in 1998 when he stopped Chatchai Sasakul in eight rounds.
Three years later, Pacquiao picked up the IBF bantamweight title and two years after that he was The Ring’s featherweight champion following his knockout victory over Marco Antonio Barrera.
But it was from 2008 onwards that he really started to race through the weight classes.
A stoppage win over David Diaz handed him lightweight gold, and he brutally knocked out Ricky Hatton in May 2009 to secure The Ring’s super welterweight title.
Six months later he was the WBO welterweight champion after stopping Miguel Cotto in the final round, and in November 2010 Pacquiao overcame a huge size disadvantage to beat Antonio Margarito on points for the Mexican’s WBC super welterweight title.
Remarkably, Pacquiao is still fighting at the age of 46 and nearly won the WBC welterweight title when he drew with Mario Barrios in July.
He looks very unlikely to win another title in a ninth different division but could still add to his legacy by claiming another welterweight belt as he moves towards his late 40s.
Will Crawford join pantheon of greats?Getty Images
Crawford would be in illustrious company if he can topple Canelo later this month.
It will be a tough task for the Omaha native, but he has overcome every challenge he has faced in his career to date.
Crawford has also been the undisputed champion in two different divisions – super lightweight and welterweight – a feat that Mayweather, Pacquiao and Co. did not achieve.
A win over Canelo would make him the undisputed king in a third weight class and cement his status as an all-time great.
Canelo will have the edge in size and experience on fight night, but no one has figured out how to beat Crawford yet.
The American superstar will hope this remains the case on September 13 as he chases history in Las Vegas.
Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription
A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
