Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford are getting ready for a huge fight this Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The 65,000-seat venue will host a clash between two of boxing's biggest stars.
Canelo, the undisputed super middleweight champion, puts his titles on the line against Crawford, who's moving up two weight classes for this shot. It's a big risk for Crawford, but he's got a perfect 41-0 record with 31 knockouts to back up his confidence.
The Mexican superstar Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) will make over $100 million for this fight. It's part of a four-fight deal that'll see him try to bounce back from his 2022 loss to Dmitry Bivol.
Crawford's slick boxing style and sharp fight IQ will be put to the test against Canelo's size, power, and relentless pressure. The odds are close, with Canelo a slight -160 favorite and Crawford at +145.
Former champ Amir Khan thinks Crawford's fresher legs give him the edge. But heavyweight king Tyson Fury sees the size difference as too much for Crawford to overcome.
Promoter Eddie Hearn says Crawford can win if he fights smart, even if it means being "boring." Legendary trainer Abel Sanchez believes Canelo's pressure will wear Crawford down over 12 rounds.
"Crawford looked stronger than expected," said Dmitry Bivol, who favors the American to pull off the upset.
This fight marks Netflix's big move into boxing. They want to prove the sport can draw huge numbers like the NFL and NBA on their platform. They already had success with the Paul vs. Tyson event earlier this year.
Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh helped make this fight happen. He promised Canelo the biggest single payday ever for a Mexican athlete.
The undercard features some exciting prospects. Callum Walsh takes on Fernando Vargas Jr. in the co-main event. Rising stars Christian Mbilli, Serhii Bohachuk, and Ivan Dychko will also be in action.
The main card kicked off at 9:17 p.m. ET. In early action, Mohammed Alakel outboxed Travis Crawford through seven rounds. The crowd showed their allegiances during fighter walkouts, booing Crawford and cheering for Canelo.
Earlier results saw some quick finishes. Reito Tsutsumi, a Japanese prospect, needed just 2:18 to stop Javier Martinez. Cuban light heavyweight Raiko Santana made quick work of Steven Nelson with a first-round TKO.
17-year-old Saudi prospect Sultan Almohammed won a decision in his pro debut. Olympic silver medalist Marco Verde dominated veteran Sona Akale for a 4th round TKO.
This fight will define both men's legacies. Can Crawford add his name to the list of all-time greats like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones Jr.? Or will Canelo prove he's still the king of boxing? We'll find out Saturday night on Netflix.
