De La Hoya, a former six-division world champion and current promoter, shared his thoughts on social media. He wrote:
So hear me out. Crawford will be 38 And Canelo is 35. Crawford hasn't fought in a year and got exposed by Madrimov IMO. Canelo has been getting exposed for the past few years. Can anyone please explain to me how this is the "biggest fight in boxing"?
The Golden Boy pointed out several factors he thinks might affect the quality of the fight. He mentioned the ages of both fighters, with Canelo at 35 and Crawford turning 38. He also brought up Crawford's year-long break from the ring.
Canelo Alvarez recently added the IBF strap to his collection of WBC, WBA, and WBO titles. He beat William Scull on May 3 in Riyadh, becoming the undisputed champion at 168lbs for the second time in his career. But some people think Canelo didn't deserve to win that fight.
Crawford's last fight was against Israil Madrimov last August. He won the WBA light-middleweight title, but De La Hoya claims Madrimov "exposed" Crawford. Some observers noted that Crawford didn't seem to be at his best in that fight.
Despite De La Hoya's criticism, many boxing fans and experts can't wait for this fight between two of the sport's biggest stars. The bout is set for September 2025, giving both fighters time to prepare for what many consider a true mega-fight in boxing.