The match-up comes after Canelo's recent win over William Scull. Many fans felt Canelo's performance wasn't his best, which has led to lots of talk about how the fight with Crawford might go.
Legendary boxing figure Teddy Atlas shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout. He picked Crawford to win, even though Crawford's the smaller man. Atlas wondered if Canelo might have lost some of his drive due to his success.
Atlas said:
"Did Canelo not fight with urgency because he's made so much money? That's a possibility. Maybe. Here's a tough one, his is where they kill me: Was he overrated?"
Atlas praised Canelo's skills and achievements but pointed out some controversial moments in his career. He mentioned fights against Gennady Golovkin and Erislandy Lara where the results were debated. Atlas also noted Canelo's loss to Floyd Mayweather.
"He's a hell of a fighter. He's a damn good fighter. But you know, if you look at it with a microscope I thought he lost the first Triple G fight. I thought he lost the second one – okay, that was different, closer. I thought he might have lost to Erislandy Lara, actually."
Atlas highlighted Canelo's advantages in his career. As the sport's biggest star, Canelo often got to choose his opponents. He usually fought smaller or older boxers, which Atlas thinks might have boosted his record.
"He has that right. He's the pay-per-view king. He had the right to pick guys who maybe had to fight him, who were smaller or older, because that's how they were going to make the money."
Despite these points, Atlas still rates Canelo highly. He said:
"Was he a little overrated? I don't know. But I think he's a heck of a fighter. He's got a heck of a legacy."
In the end, Atlas stuck with his original prediction. He believes Crawford will win the fight, even though he'll be the smaller man in the ring.
"I still stick with my pick. I'm picking Crawford, like I did before this fight. I'm picking Crawford to win, even being, obviously, the smaller man."
The fight is set for September, and it's sure to be a big event. Canelo recently changed promoters, signing with Sela in the past few weeks. This move might affect how the fight is promoted and presented.