Boxing is a sport that thrives on possibilities. Often referred to as the theatre of the unexpected, the sport has proven time after time that even the slightest action(s) that takes place inside those ropes can have the ability to change lives forever, and alter the course of the sport. Such consequences are usually only saved for the sport’s most significant fights. Even casual fans are aware of the implications resulting from boxing’s most momentous fights. From Louis vs. Schmeling to Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, the most important fights in the sport draw both hardcore and casual fans alike. It takes years of sacrifice, success, and media savvy to pull off such events, but the results can alter so much more than its participants’ records.
One such fight looms on the horizon. On September 13th, Canelo Alvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford will meet at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. That’s right. The fight is being held in an arena primarily used for football, which has the capacity to hold between 65,000 and 72,000 spectators. Additionally, the fight will be streamed live on Netflix. The fight will be available to all Netflix subscribers, with no additional fees to be charged. This is the third free boxing event the streaming service has hosted. Prior events include Tyson vs. Paul, which took place on November 15th of last year, Taylor vs. Serrano III, which took place this past July.
Terence Crawford 41-0 (31 KO’s) is the former undisputed champion at light welterweight and welterweight. Known for switching his stances in the middle of fights, Crawford is widely recognized for his exceptional ring IQ. The native of Omaha, Nebraska, possesses a remarkable ability to adapt and adjust his strategy during his fights if he senses that his opponent might be getting the upper hand. Neither flashy nor boisterous, Crawford concentrates his efforts on systematically breaking down his opponent behind a jab that can agitate an opponent’s rhythm just enough to create ample opportunities to land harder, more decisive punches.
Although significant wins over the likes of Yuriorkis Gamboa, John Molina Jr, Amir Khan, Kell Brook, and Shawn Porter put him near the top of boxing’s pound-for-pound rankings, it was on July 29th, 2023 that Crawford truly became a household name. Standing across from Crawford that night was another young, undefeated champion by the name of Errol Spence Jr. Spence himself was, at the time, in the pound-for-pound mix himself. At the time of the fight, he was the WBA, (Super), WBC, and IBF Welterweight champion. The fight was initially considered a “pick’em” fight, meaning that the fighters appeared to be so evenly matched, there was no clear underdog or favorite. However, the later betting odds placed Crawford at around -125, suggesting a 56% chance of winning.
What followed was a decisive and dominant win for Crawford that saw him land 185 of the 369 punches he threw (50.1%). Spence was only able to connect 96 of the 480 punches he threw (20%). That night, Crawford won by TKO in the 9th round. With this victory, Crawford became the first undisputed welterweight champion since 2006. Additionally, he also became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to be undisputed in two divisions.
The fight was a major success. The live gate revenue was north of $20 million, and the pay-per-view generated between 650,000 and 700,000 buys, according to Front Office Sports. With Crawford now being the undisputed king of the welterweight division, his stock skyrocketed. While once passed over on the pound-for-pound rankings for fighters such as Vasiliy Lomachenko and Naoya Inoue, Crawford was now at the top of not only his game, but the game as well. And yet, one name clearly stood out as someone who could possibly knock down Crawford from his pedestal.
When it comes to boxing’s active top box office attraction, Canelo Alvarez 63-2-2 (39 KO’s) is clearly ahead of the pack. With upwards of $450 million in career earnings, Alvarez has made a strong argument for being the face of the sport. Despite losses to Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and Dmitry Bivol in 2022, Canelo is a consistently powerful pay-per-view draw.
Canelo, who is the reigning super-middleweight champion, is now a four-division world champion. A household name in his own right, Canelo has built himself a remarkable career. Victories over the likes of Shane Mosley, James Kirkland, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Daniel Jacobs, Sergey Kovalev, Caleb Plant, Jermell Charlo, and Edgar Berlanga have solidified Alvarez as a certified star both in and out of the ring. His global appeal and continuing determination to build his legacy have given his fans a strong argument for, perhaps, being the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. And at the age of 35, and approaching the twilight of his career, that argument bears significant consideration.
Much like Terence Crawford, Alvarez is also known for his ring IQ. A powerful puncher with renowned counter-punching ability and dynamic upper body movement, Alvarez has the perfect style to overcome both the speed and power of his opponents. And with sixty-seven professional fights worth of experience under his belt, the super-middleweight division’s undisputed ruler is well-poised to handle any threat.
With all the accolades associated with both Crawford and Canelo, talk of a fight between the two pugilists was naturally going to materialize. The fact that Canelo fought two weight classes above Crawford was set aside. As two of the most gifted and visible fighters in the sport, a matchup between the two has the ability to uplift boxing and, if for only a brief period of time, make the sweet science the talk of professional sports and pop culture.
So, what’s at stake? A win for Crawford would make him the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three separate weight classes. And jumping up two weight classes to 168 pounds will also serve as further proof of Crawford’s uncanny ability to adapt to any challenge. For Canelo, a win adds another significant chapter to his already impressive legacy. It will also show that he has, in fact, evolved since his losses to Mayweather and Bivol. Gone is the twenty-three-year-old, baby-faced kid who stepped up to challenge the seasoned and poised Mayweather, when they met almost twelve years ago. On that night, Canelo a fighter who was thirteen years his senior, and a defensive mastermind. Canelo was outgunned and outclassed. The defeat could have easily shaken Alvarez’s confidence and derailed a promising career. However, the young Mexican’s resilience would not be deterred. And today, his accolades speak for themselves.
It seems that everyone has an opinion on this fight. As of this writing, the odds favor Canelo. Many feel that, with Crawford jumping up two weight classes to make this fight possible, the difference in natural size will be too much for even Crawford to overcome. However, not everyone agrees with this assessment. According to TalkSPORT and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, he believes Crawford can win this upcoming fight. Smith believes that Crawford’s boxing IQ and southpaw-switching ability gives him an advantage. Former Canelo opponent Erislandy Lara has also stated that Crawford can win this fight, but he will need to use disciplined movement in order to negate Canelo’s significant power advantage. Canelo, for his part, has been sparring with Olympic veteran Darrelle Valsaint in preparation for the upcoming bout. Valsaint also has a switch-hitting style similar to Crawford’s.
So, who wins this fight? While many feel that Crawford does undoubtedly represent the best of the sport, they are also of the opinion that he is simply too small for Canelo. While Crawford might be the superior boxer, the difference in weight will just be too much for the thirty-seven-year-old star to overcome. Canelo is younger and stronger, and his own level of experience and counter-punching abilities might make for too tall a task.
However, as stated at the beginning, boxing is referred to as the theatre of the unexpected. Just how good is Bud Crawford, really? Have we even seen the best of him? Crawford is not blindly going into this fight. He knows what waits across the ring from him on September 13th. He knows that Canelo is bigger and strong than he is, and it is likely that he sees a flaw in Canelo’s style that he can exploit. After all, if Crawford is the smartest fighter currently active in the sport (and I believe he is), why would he take a fight that he doesn’t think he could win? Crawford is too savvy and crafty for that. Additionally, his pride will not allow him to take high-profile fights such as this, get pummeled, and ride off into the sunset with more money than he could spend in three lifetimes. If he can find one flaw, one mistake in Canelo’s strategy, he will do everything in his power to expose and exploit that flaw on fight night. Yes, Crawford will have to fight the perfect fight. Canelo does have the ability to knock him out. Any mistake Crawford can have dire consequences. But if anyone can fight the “perfect” fight (if there is such a thing), it’s Bud Crawford.
Boxing has weight divisions for a reason, and Terence Crawford will need to prove that his skills and abilities can overcome that weight disadvantage. Essentially, he will have to outsmart both Canelo and the sport itself. In other words, what’s in between Crawford’s ears is more powerful than pounds on a scale. The good news is that this fight does not have to be fought in theory and debate. Come September 13th, he will have to put every bit of knowledge he has acquired about the sport to the test, in front of the whole world. Will it be enough? Time will tell.
