“Israil was a tough competitor,” said Crawford, who had not been taken to 12 rounds since 2016.
“He’s real strong. He’s durable. He took a lot of good shots. He got me to round 12.
“He had fast speed, a good rhythm upstairs. He was very disciplined and he fought a good fight.
“I was being patient. I didn’t want to rush in with anything. That’s how I got caught a couple times – I tried to eat too soon.”
Crawford’s win opened up the possibility of a fight with Mexico’s super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
“If the money is right, we’ve got to fight,” said Crawford.
