Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford will face off in a historic showdown on September 13. The fight pits two of boxing's top talents against each other, but Crawford might be at a disadvantage.
Crawford hasn't fought in a while and he's moving up two weight classes for this bout. These factors could affect how well he performs against Canelo.
Trainer Manny Robles shared his thoughts on the matchup with BoxingScene.com:
"For me, he's one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I understand that activity does matter. So that could come back and affect Crawford, but he's a very skilled fighter. On the other hand, Canelo has stayed active and he's a full-fledged fighter. He's a super middleweight."
Crawford's known for being elusive, accurate, and smart in the ring. He can switch stances and is considered a complete fighter. But his long break from boxing and the jump in weight class raise questions about how he'll handle Canelo's power and endurance.
Canelo's been busy fighting and defending his titles. He's comfortable at super middleweight, which gives him an edge over Crawford who's moving up.
Some fans think Crawford jumped the line for this fight. He hasn't faced many top fighters in higher weight classes. His last fight also stirred up some controversy about his performance.
Robles believes the fight is evenly matched when it comes to skill:
"He's too elusive, too accurate, too skillful and too smart."
Crawford's age and time away from the ring could work against him. But these doubts might also fire him up to prove everyone wrong.
We'll find out how it all plays out when they step into the ring on September 13.
