Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford will face off in a massive boxing match this September. The fight, set for Saturday, September 13 in Las Vegas, pits two of the sport's biggest stars against each other in a clash that's got fans talking.
The bout was confirmed at the start of the month. Canelo will defend his undisputed super-middleweight championship. Crawford aims to make history by becoming the first male boxer to achieve undisputed status in three weight divisions.
Canelo has dominated the sport for years. He's moved up through weight classes and controlled some of the best punchers in bigger divisions. The Mexican star has never been seriously hurt in the ring, except for what many call a fluke punch from Jose Cotto early in his career.
Crawford, at 37, faces the biggest challenge of his career. The Omaha native just became WBA world champion at 154lbs after beating Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision. That was Crawford's debut at light-middleweight, the highest weight class he's fought in so far.
Legendary trainer Abel Sanchez, who was in Gennady Golovkin's corner for his fights with Canelo, shared his thoughts on the matchup with K.O. Artist Sports. Sanchez favors Canelo to win:
"Absolutely [there are weight classes for a reason]. I think Crawford is a great fighter but Bob Foster was also, he's moving up to a guy that's never been hurt other than a fluke punch by [Jose] Cotto, he's moved up and fought some of the best punchers in the bigger divisions and controlled them so it's a tough task for Terence."
Sanchez believes the weight difference will be too much for Crawford to overcome. He points out that Canelo has handled top punchers in higher weight classes before.
Crawford's jump in weight is significant. Before his recent fight with Madrimov, he had never competed above light-middleweight. This matchup with Canelo will test Crawford like never before in his professional career.
The boxing world will be watching closely as these two champions step into the ring. Can Crawford's skills overcome the size difference, or will Canelo's power and experience at higher weights prove too much? We'll find out in September.
