ESPN reports that the two pound-for-pound stars have an agreement in place, with an official announcement expected soon. For Crawford, this marks the biggest test of his career as he bids to become a five-weight world champion.
Canelo, the 34-year-old Mexican superstar, has dominated the 168-pound division for five years. Crawford, known as "Bud," only recently made his debut at super-welterweight and now faces the challenge of moving up another weight class.
Oscar De La Hoya, the legendary fighter turned promoter, has changed his mind about how this fight will play out. Last August, he backed Crawford to win, telling FightHub TV:
"Terence Crawford will beat Canelo anytime. I said before the big talented man will always beat the small talented fighter, but Terence Crawford is not small, Terence Crawford is a big guy, he could walk around at 168 if he wants to. If this fight is made at 164, Terence Crawford [wins] all day."
But De La Hoya has since changed his tune. He now favors Canelo, explaining his new position:
"At 154, he didn't really look too dangerous up in the ring, but against a beast. So imagine Canelo being the bigger guy, being a beast up in the ring, it's almost like a no contest. When has a smaller good guy ever beaten a good bigger guy, it's never happened in the history of the sport."
De La Hoya points out that Crawford didn't look particularly dangerous in his super-welterweight debut. He believes Canelo's size advantage and proven track record at the weight will be too much for Crawford to overcome.
The fight promises to be one of the biggest of the year, pitting two of boxing's best against each other. Fans will have to wait until September to see if Crawford can pull off the upset or if Canelo will add another big name to his impressive resume.