Terence Crawford is the man of the hour, but according to Oscar De La Hoya, everyone is being a prisoner of the moment.

Following his close but clear win over Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, countless promoters, managers and fighters have sung Crawford's praises. He became an undisputed three-division champion and earned the top spot on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list.

Recently, the most talked-about conversation has revolved around Crawford and 2021 Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather.

Some, including Tim Bradley and Shane Mosley, are of the belief that prime for prime, Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) was the better fighter. De La Hoya, who lost to Mayweather in 2007 and promoted Alvarez for much of his career, can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Crawford is more of a fighter boxer, and Mayweather is more of a boxer,” De La Hoya told several reporters. “But Mayweather is much more superior than Crawford. I feel that technically, Mayweather is the better fighter.”

In 2017, Mayweather walked away from the game after grabbing the 50th win of his career. But four years prior, he became the first fighter to hand Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) an L. Although he was forced to settle for a majority decision, as opposed to a unanimous win, many, including De La Hoya, believe it was one-way traffic.

Crawford, similarly, looked like a man who couldn’t be beat when he fought Alvarez. He effortlessly landed jabs, right hands, and hooks when he wanted. He also had no trouble dealing with him on the inside. Still, no matter how impressive he looked on the night, De La Hoya doesn’t believe he was quite as sharp or dominant as the man to whom many are currently comparing him.

“Floyd Mayweather toyed with Canelo,” De La Hoya continued. “He literally toyed with him.”