Crawford, known as 'Bud', will move up two weight classes for this match. The 37-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, has an impressive record. He's the first undisputed welterweight champion of the 'four belt era' and has defeated top fighters like Errol Spence Jr. Crawford recently moved to light-middleweight and beat Israil Madrimov. If he wins against Canelo, he could become the first male boxer to win undisputed championships in three weight classes.
Canelo, the Mexican icon, has been fighting at 168lbs (super-middleweight) for seven years. He's racked up notable victories against fighters like Gennady Golovkin, Caleb Plant, and Billy Joe Saunders.
David Benavidez, nicknamed the 'Mexican Monster', has changed his mind about the fight's outcome. He initially favored Crawford, giving him a 7 out of 10 chance of winning. Benavidez told The Ariel Helwani Show:
"I think if anybody can beat Canelo I think Crawford could."
However, in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, Benavidez changed his prediction:
"It's a good fight, more like a 60/40 [to Canelo] only because of the weight difference but you can't take Crawford's skill away you know, you have to give him credit for his skill, he's an amazing fighter, he's an amazing technician in the ring, I think it's like 60/40."
Benavidez added, "Crawford likes to pick up the weight so I'm sure he's been working on the weights for a long, long time."
ESPN reports that the fight announcement has generated a lot of excitement in the boxing world. Fans are eager to see how Crawford's technical skills will match up against Canelo's power and experience at the higher weight class.