Alvarez currently holds the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles at super-middleweight. He'll defend these belts against William Scull in May, with the IBF title also up for grabs. Alvarez lost this belt earlier, but a win against Scull will make the Crawford fight a battle for all four major titles.
Crawford's chosen to sit out until the September showdown. If he wins, he'll become an undisputed champion in his third weight class. That's an achievement that would cement his place in boxing history.
Roy Jones Jr., who won world titles in multiple divisions himself, shared his thoughts on the fight with Fighthype.com.
"Man, it's a great fight for boxing. I know people don't agree with it. But, if Canelo fights one increment of the wrong fight, he's gonna lose. If he comes out and fights the right fight, it's gonna be a tough one. So, right now I think it can go either way, but it depends on what type of fight Canelo fights."
Jones also had some advice for Crawford on handling the weight jump:
"Come in as big as he can get. If he can get to the weight limit, because there is a weight limit, get to the weight limit."
The fight's got fans and experts split. Some think Crawford's skills will shine through, while others can't see past Canelo's size advantage. Crawford's decision to wait it out until September shows he's all in on this challenge.
We'll have to wait and see how this plays out. Will Crawford's skills translate to the higher weight? Can Canelo handle Crawford's speed and technique? The answers will come in September, and the boxing world will be watching.