Terence Crawford aims to face Canelo Alvarez in a big fight this September. The undefeated boxer wants to move up to 168 pounds to challenge the Mexican champion.
The fight's not set in stone yet. It might happen on September 13, a day later than first planned due to a scheduling clash at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York are all in the running to host.
Crawford's trainer, Brian "BoMac" McIntyre, told Boxing Scene that his fighter's been in a full training camp for almost six months. That's a long time to prepare, showing how serious Crawford is about this challenge.
If the fight goes ahead, it'll be huge. Crawford's trying to do something no one's done before - beat Canelo at 168 pounds. It's the kind of move that could put him up there with boxing greats like Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But there's a twist. A BrunchBoxing alert says there's a backup plan. Lester Martinez, known as "The Legend Killer", might step in if Crawford can't make it. Martinez has agreed to be ready, with a $2 million payday on the line - the biggest of his career so far.
Martinez isn't just sitting around waiting. He's got a fight coming up on July 12 against Pierre Dibombe. It's a 10-round regional title fight at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, which fans can watch on ProBox TV.
"This fight is all about staying active and drumming up interest,"Martinez's team said.
The Guatemalan boxer turned pro in 2019 and has a perfect 19-0 record. He's been making waves in the super middleweight division, knocking out Joeshon James in the fourth round recently and outpointing Carlos Gongora last year.
Martinez has also been helping Crawford get ready for Canelo. His size, strength, and aggressive style make him a good stand-in for the Mexican champ during sparring sessions.
Even if he doesn't replace Crawford, Martinez will still get to fight on the preliminary card. It's a win-win for the up-and-coming boxer.
For now, nothing's set in stone for the Canelo vs Crawford fight. Boxing fans will have to wait and see how it all plays out. But one thing's for sure - whether it's Crawford or Martinez in the ring, it's shaping up to be an exciting night of boxing.
