Dmitry Bivol thinks Terence Crawford can beat Canelo Alvarez, but it won't be easy. Bivol, one of only two fighters to defeat Canelo, shared his thoughts in a recent interview with Ring Magazine.
Bivol's first concern was the size difference between Crawford and Canelo. Crawford plans to jump up two weight classes to face the Mexican superstar. But Bivol's worries eased a bit when he saw Crawford in Dubai recently.
"First reaction of course it was the size of Crawford. Is it okay for him to move up two weight classes or not? But then I saw him in Dubai, maybe a month ago and I thought he's big."
The undisputed light-heavyweight champion had high praise for Crawford's abilities:
"He has very good skills. He's one of my favourite boxers. He's able to win this fight. But there are a lot of 'buts'… Even not 'buts', a lot of things we don't know he'll deal with. He need to get used to the power and pressure of 168, because it's a big difference."
Bivol pointed out that Crawford's awkward style and ability to switch stances could give him an edge. But he'll need to adapt to the power and pressure of the super-middleweight division.
Canelo has only lost twice in his career - once to Bivol in 2022 and once to Floyd Mayweather a decade ago. He's set to fight William Scull on May 3rd, aiming to become a two-time undisputed champion.
Crawford, known as 'Bud', is a four-weight world champion and pound-for-pound star. He's currently fighting at super-welterweight but wants to make the big jump to face Canelo.
Bivol stressed that mental preparation will be crucial for Crawford:
"It's not about only getting used to the power. It's also about being mentally ready. Because when people are not prepared mentally, they are afraid or scared, your body becomes weak. When something happens and you weren't ready for it, we all know the feelings like the body melts."
He added:
"Mentality is very important for this fight. Even if he is one or two weight classes lower, if he's mentally ready he will be ready to get his punches and be okay with it. He could be good."
You can watch Bivol's full interview with Ring Magazine on their YouTube channel. For more on Bivol's own victory over Canelo, check out ESPN's coverage of that stunning upset.
