Kovalev Weighs In On Canelo-Crawford Showdown: "I've Been There"

George Fields Jan. 25, 2025, 7:10 p.m.

Canelo's fought 66 times as a pro. He's won 63 fights, lost 2, and drawn 1. He's been a world champion in four different weight classes, from super-welterweight all the way up to light-heavyweight.

Canelo proved his power and chin at higher weights when he stopped Sergey Kovalev to win a light-heavyweight title. But he's also tasted defeat up there, losing on points to Dmitry Bivol.

Crawford's only fought once at super-welterweight. He's been saying he's got the skills to beat Canelo. Kovalev thinks he's the best pound-for-pound fighter right now.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Kovalev shared his thoughts on the potential matchup:

"Terence Crawford, great fighter. Huge respect to him. I think he's the best pound-for-pound fighter. But if he will move up… He can beat Canelo, but I don't know how he will be comfortable in his division."

Kovalev's worried about the extra weight Crawford will carry:

"What division are they gonna fight? Super-middleweight? It's too big. He will be slower, you know? Because he will be bigger. For a fight every boxer should be losing weight for speed, lightness, movement. It's no good for Crawford. But I know and I see that he can get the win."

The Russian boxer thinks Canelo will try to pressure Crawford:

"Canelo will keep his hands up and walk him down. Crawford is very smart, but nobody knows how he will feel at super-middleweight. It's too much weight. I did a fight at 200 pounds, I wasn't light-heavy, I was slow. It's not comfortable. I think Crawford will be the same heavier. If he will be in his shape, he will beat Canelo."

Crawford's planning to jump straight into the fight without a warm-up bout. Canelo's expected to take an interim fight before their showdown. We'll have to wait and see how it all plays out when they step into the ring.

Share

More Stories