Chavez, a multiple-time world champion who fought in three weight classes and had a total of 115 fights, believes the weight difference will play a big role. He told ES News:
"Canelo will knock him out in six or seven rounds. Crawford is good fighter but there's weight classes [for a reason]."
Canelo currently holds all the belts at super middleweight and has won world titles from junior middleweight all the way up to light heavyweight. He hasn't been pushed hard since losing to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022. Bivol now reigns as the undisputed light heavyweight champion.
Crawford, on the other hand, will move up two weight classes for this fight. He's a former two-weight undisputed champion and recently picked up a world title at 154lbs. The American has elite level skills, athleticism, and defense. He can also switch hit, which has kept him high in the pound-for-pound rankings for many years.
Canelo has called Crawford "a complete fighter" and praised his skills. But Canelo's defense is famously sound, and he's got a solid chin. He's never been knocked down in his career.
The mega-fight is set to take place in Las Vegas this September. The big question is whether Crawford can carry enough power up two weight classes to trouble Canelo.