Crawford, known as "Bud," will step up two weight divisions for this bout. He's moving from super-welterweight, where he only fought once, to super-middleweight. That lone fight at 154lbs saw Crawford defeat Israil Madrimov last August to claim the WBA super-welterweight title.
Canelo, on the other hand, is comfortable at super-middleweight. He currently holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO titles. Before facing Crawford, Canelo will defend his belts against William Scull in May. If Canelo wins, his fight with Crawford could be for undisputed honors.
Legendary trainer Ronnie Shields, who has worked with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, believes Crawford can hurt Canelo at 168lbs. In an interview with Fighthype, Shields explained his reasoning:
"Absolutely. Look at the Floyd Mayweather fight in 2013. Canelo wanted to press Floyd, he tried to. Floyd kept stepping around him. One or two simple moves and Canelo had to reset. Floyd never had to reset. Boom, boom boom. Step around. Crawford is going to look at that and perfect that. That's why I give him a great shot."
Shields' analysis draws parallels between Crawford's potential strategy and Mayweather's successful approach against Canelo in 2013, which resulted in Canelo's defeat.
Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez has also weighed in on the fight, though his prediction wasn't provided in the article.
This clash between Crawford and Canelo is shaping up to be one of the biggest in boxing history. With both fighters at the top of their game, fans are eager to see how Crawford's skills will translate to the higher weight class and if he can overcome Canelo's power and experience at super-middleweight.