Terence Crawford, the 37-year-old American boxing star, is getting ready for the biggest challenge of his career. He'll face Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight championship on Saturday, September 13, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Crawford's move to super middleweight marks a bold step in his already impressive career. He's jumping up two weight divisions after recently winning the WBA super welterweight title from Israil Madrimov. This win came over a year after his last fight, showing Crawford's ability to adapt and succeed in new weight classes.
Canelo, the 35-year-old Mexican champion, has ruled the super middleweight division since 2018. He's faced all kinds of fighters, from hard-hitting brawlers like Edgar Berlanga to quick-moving boxers like William Scull. Canelo feels he's seen it all and isn't planning to give up his titles easily.
If Crawford pulls off the win, it could set up a rematch in May 2026, which would be Canelo's next fight window. Promoters see this as a potential gold mine. But many analysts think a Crawford victory is unlikely, given Canelo's dominance in the division.
Devin Haney, who's getting ready for his own fight against Brian Norman on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, shared his thoughts on the matchup:
"What else is there to do? If he wins or loses, what else is there to do?"
Haney's amazed by Crawford's new challenge and thinks he'll find a way to win, even as a slight underdog. Haney himself might move up to welterweight and challenge Crawford in 2026.
Bookmakers favor Canelo Alvarez to win, likely by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. The big question is whether Canelo can knock out Crawford, who's never been stopped in his 41 professional fights.
Crawford hasn't talked about his plans after the Alvarez fight. Right now, he's focused on making history by becoming a three-division champion against one of boxing's biggest stars.
