Terence Crawford may get his shot at Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez this September in Las Vegas. The four-weight world champion has been trying to make this fight happen for two years.
Crawford wants to challenge Alvarez at super-middleweight, which means moving up two weight classes from his last bout. Boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh is working to make the fight happen. Crawford and Alvarez met with Alalshikh this month to discuss the potential matchup.
'Bud' Crawford has an impressive record of 41 wins, with 31 coming by stoppage. He recently went the distance against Israil Madrimov at super-welterweight. The fight showed Crawford's skills at a higher weight class, but some worry about how he'll handle an even bigger jump to face Canelo.
Alvarez has dominated at 168 pounds for years. He's fought 66 times and has never been dropped or stopped. The last time Canelo finished an opponent was in 2021 when he became undisputed by beating Caleb Plant. Since then, he's had a five-fight streak without a stoppage.
Many people in boxing think the weight difference might be too much for Crawford. Canelo's power is well-known, and most of his opponents talk about how hard he hits. Crawford's power might not be as effective at higher weights. There's also no word on a rehydration clause in the contract, which could make things even tougher for Crawford.
Crawford seems confident he can win. When Canelo posted a clip showing his powerful hooks on a heavy bag, Crawford tweeted on January 19, 2025:
"That's cute"
The boxing world will keep a close eye on this potential matchup as September gets closer. If it happens, we'll get to see if Crawford's skills can overcome Canelo's size and power advantage.
