Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford are getting ready to face each other in the ring. The two four-division world champions will meet this September in Las Vegas at 168 pounds.
Many boxing fans feel Crawford's move up in weight to super middleweight might be too much of a stretch. But there's one man who's been in the ring with both fighters and he thinks differently.
Amir Khan is the only shared opponent in the combined 107 fights of Canelo and Crawford. He fought Canelo in May 2016 for the WBC middleweight title. Khan, who had jumped up two weight classes for the bout, gave Canelo trouble early on with his speed and movement. But as the fight progressed, Canelo slowly closed the distance. In the sixth round, Canelo landed a thunderous overhand right that knocked Khan out cold.
Three years later, Khan faced Crawford at welterweight. The fight didn't last long either. Crawford dropped Khan in the first round and dominated until Khan's trainer stopped the fight in the sixth round after a low blow. Many felt the stoppage only sped up Crawford's inevitable win.
In a recent interview with Ring Magazine, Khan shared his thoughts on both fighters. He called Canelo a "beast" and the hardest puncher he's faced.
"When he hit me, I didn't really feel the punch, I was knocked out before I hit the floor. I do remember everything."
Khan also pointed out Canelo's incredible strength:
"Canelo was a hard motherf9cker! I was hitting him with some combinations, and he wouldn't go back. Normally you get guys who are coming forward and slowly cutting the ring down. I was catching him with some good shots and thinking, 'take a step back.' that's what I wanted him to do, so I could throw a flurry of punches, so I can hit him with them and to take a step back and I could start to dictate with them, but he wouldn't let me."
Despite Canelo's power and strength, Khan believes Crawford has what it takes to push Canelo back. He thinks Crawford can overcome the weight difference and win the fight.
With both fighters known for their skills and power, fans are in for an exciting matchup this September. Will Crawford's speed and technique be enough to overcome Canelo's strength and experience at the higher weight? We'll have to wait and see.
