Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford are set to face off in a massive undisputed super middleweight championship bout this Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The fight will pack the 65,000-seat venue, making it the third-highest-grossing boxing gate ever.
Alvarez, the defending champion with a record of 63-2-2 and 39 KOs, enters as a slight favorite at -160 odds. He's guaranteed over $100 million for the fight as part of a four-fight deal. For Canelo, this bout serves as a reminder mission to defend his status as the face of Mexican boxing.
Crawford, the challenger with a perfect 41-0 record and 31 KOs, comes in as a +145 underdog. He's moving up two weight classes from welterweight in an audacious attempt to unify titles in a second division.
The fight will be broadcast on Netflix, continuing the streaming giant's experiment with live boxing after the Paul vs. Tyson event earlier this year. They're aiming to prove boxing can thrive in the same digital space as the NFL, NBA, and Formula 1.
In the first round, Crawford opened southpaw and set the tone with his jab and patience. He landed a straight left to the body and a short combination, while Canelo missed several right-hand attempts. The unofficial scorecard gave the round to Crawford, 10-9.
Crawford stayed southpaw in the second, using his footwork to avoid the ropes. He landed a sharp combination and steady jabs. Canelo had some moments with a right to the body and a left hook, but Crawford stayed ahead on the unofficial scorecard.
Canelo imposed himself more in the third round with sharper body work, closing the distance effectively. He landed left hooks and right crosses to Crawford's midsection. Crawford stayed composed and landed a looping left upstairs, but it was Canelo's strongest round so far.
On the undercard, Callum Walsh dominated Fernando Vargas Jr. to win a unanimous decision. Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez fought to a split draw in a brutal 10-round action for the interim WBC super middleweight title. In lightweight action, 17-year-old Mohammed Alakel controlled his fight against Travis Crawford to win a unanimous decision.
The event has drawn a star-studded crowd, including Michael J. Fox, Dave Chappelle, Marshawn Lynch, Julio CĂ©sar ChĂĄvez, Mike Tyson, Shakur Stevenson, SofĂa Vergara, Tracy Morgan, Angel Reese, and MrBeast.
"Crawford can win with discipline, but he might need to fight 'a boring fight'," Eddie Hearn said in the lead-up to the bout.
Thomas Taylor will serve as the referee for the main event. The fight marks the biggest single payday ever promised to a Mexican athlete for Canelo, while Crawford aims to follow in the footsteps of legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones Jr. in proving his greatness across weight classes.
