David Benavidez, the WBC light heavyweight champion, has shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez. Despite past conflicts with Canelo, Benavidez offers a balanced view of the September 13 showdown.
Benavidez knows a thing or two about Canelo. The Mexican superstar ignored him as a mandatory challenger in the super middleweight division, even saying, "Because of the way he talks, he thinks he's Superman." But Benavidez has moved on, claiming the interim WBC light heavyweight title in late 2024 and defending it against the undefeated David Morrell this February.
In a recent chat on the YouTube show "Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry," Benavidez gave his take on Crawford's chances against Canelo.
"If anyone has the chance to beat Canelo, it's Terence Crawford. His intelligence is on another level. He's a great fighter and he's strong."
But Benavidez didn't shy away from pointing out the challenges Crawford faces:
"There's a big weight difference. Crawford felt the power at 154 pounds against Israil Madrimov, and Canelo is a strong fighter at an even higher weight."
When asked if Canelo will finish Crawford, Benavidez kept his cards close to his chest:
"We need to wait and see. Crawford showed his level against Errol Spence, but anything can happen in a fight. I wouldn't be surprised if Terence Crawford won, but I wouldn't be surprised if he lost either."
Crawford will have some advantages in the ring. He's taller and has a longer reach than Canelo. But he's moving up two weight divisions, and that's no small feat.
Other boxing figures have weighed in too. Timothy Bradley, for instance, is firmly in Crawford's corner, saying, "You know I'm biased. I've got Crawford."
The debate around this fight touches on size, skill, and ring intelligence. Some even draw comparisons to when Floyd Mayweather neutralized a 23-year-old Canelo back in 2013.
As September 13 approaches, the boxing world will be watching closely. Will Crawford's skills translate to the higher weight class? Can Canelo's power and experience prove too much? We'll have to wait and see.
