De la Hoya: Alvarez's legs get worse every fight

Oscar de la Hoya. Getty Images
Oscar de la Hoya. Getty Images

“Crawford deserves a ton of respect for his willingness to fight Canelo. And if that happens, Terence will be my favorite,” said Oscar de la Hoya, former longtime promoter Saul Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs).

On September 30, Canelo will defend the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO super middleweight belts in a fight with Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs). Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), the undisputed welterweight champion, has already said he wants to cross the gloves with the best of the two next year.

“Crawford is a big guy and when the fight happens he will be as big as Canelo. And he has more technical skills than the Mexican. In my opinion, his boxing skills are on a completely different level. Crawford is a guy who hits hard but doesn't rely on his strength. He bases his boxing on excellent feet, speed, multi-punch combinations, and also relies heavily on his IQ in the ring. Some may think Crawford has no chance at super middleweight, but Canelo's legs, which have never been his strong suit, are getting weaker. He's starting to feel downright slow on his feet while Crawford, though older, is at the peak of his career. So if this fight happens, my favorite would be Crawford,” the “Golden Boy” added.