Conor Benn backs Terence Crawford over Oscar De La Hoya in prime

Conor Benn has selected Terence Crawford to beat Oscar De La Hoya in a hypothetical meeting between the two fighters at their peak. The WBC welterweight title hopeful also believes Crawford would remain unbeaten against several other celebrated champions.

Benn’s view places Crawford ahead of De La Hoya, who won world titles in six divisions and became the first boxer to achieve that feat. De La Hoya reached the milestone in 2004 when he defeated Felix Sturm for the WBO middleweight championship.

Crawford joined an elite group by becoming the sixth boxer to win world titles in five divisions. His victory over Canelo Alvarez in September added his name to a list that includes Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

The Omaha-born southpaw was later offered an opportunity to challenge for a middleweight title. That proposed fight did not happen after Janibek Alimkhanuly failed a doping test, ending the route for Crawford to pursue a sixth division championship.

Crawford announced his retirement in December after a career that had seen him remain undefeated. His standing has continued to grow since then, with Benn also choosing him over Mayweather, Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker and Roberto Duran in hypothetical prime-versus-prime contests.

For Benn, the comparison with De La Hoya centres on Crawford’s ability to overcome elite opposition across weight classes. De La Hoya remains one of boxing’s six-division champions, but Benn expects Crawford’s unbeaten record and recent success at the highest level to give him the advantage in their imagined encounter.