Zuffa Boxing
Why Canelo vs Crawford Is Once In A Lifetime
The Biggest Fight That Could Be Made In The Sport Of Boxing Takes Center Stage September 13 On Netflix
Before Terence Crawford’s career-best win over Errol Spence Jr. in July of 2023, I was asked to break down the fight.
For me, it was simple: Spence was a sniper, able to pick opponents off from long range and control fights until he decided to end matters. Crawford? He was Tony Montana at the end of Scarface, spraying the room with punches until one man was left standing.
Tony Montana won in T-Mobile Arena that night, and now Crawford is back, taking on another pound-for-pound standout in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight title. It’s the biggest fight in boxing right now, and frankly, the biggest fight that could be made in the sport, two all-time greats meeting in a venue befitting such a showdown, Allegiant Stadium. Add in that it’s airing globally on Netflix, and odds are that the sports world will stop as soon as the pair make their way into the ring.
WATCH: Canelo vs Alvarez Embedded
That’s all good stuff for the sport, and as all the numbers and accolades have been thrown around for weeks, the beauty of it all is that when Crawford and Alvarez finally hear the opening bell, it’s going to be a fight, just like “Bud” likes it, and like he has since he was a child in Omaha.
“It's just in me,” Crawford said. “It's something that can't be taught. It's just been in me since I was a little kid. I didn’t want to lose in anything. You can throw a football better than me? I might get mad and then start throwing the football every day trying to practice. So next time we throw that football, I'm going to be better than you.”
Cold Open | Canelo vs Crawford
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Cold Open | Canelo vs Crawford
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There haven’t been any better than Crawford in the pro boxing ring, but plenty have tried to test him, and then the mean streak came out, that feeling that if anyone dared beat him, he was going to make them pay. Crawford has an ego like that, but can he get into a firefight with a man who has ruled the super middleweight division with an iron fist?
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That’s the question. Not if Crawford can handle the move up from 154 to 168 pounds, because we’ve seen the good big man always beats a good smaller man argument get squashed several times in boxing history, with two good examples being Shane Mosley defeating Oscar De La Hoya in their first fight and Roy Jones Jr. taking the heavyweight title from John Ruiz. No, the question is, can Crawford handle a fighter in Alvarez who has dominated his weight class to the extent that he is considered one of the best super middleweights of all time?
This isn’t Alvarez picking up a belt at 168 and moving on. This is him calling the division home and putting together a resume that compares to the other greats of the weight class, including Joe Calzaghe, Andre Ward, Carl Froch and Roy Jones Jr. And while all those fighters had their shining moment that defined their reigns, this may be Alvarez’ if he can defeat Crawford in the division he believes is his best.
“I feel my best in 168,” Alvarez told me earlier this year in a story for The Ring magazine. “I feel strong, and I think I can do whatever I want. I think that way, that most of the time I need to dominate them every time I step in the ring, no matter what.”
RELATED: What Will We Say About Terence Crawford?
If that’s the game plan on Saturday night, Crawford will have a decision to make. Will he be the sublime boxer that he can be, or will he get into a firefight? He’s not telling, but with his Fight IQ kicking into overdrive, he knows what’s ahead, and he will act accordingly.
Main Event Preview | Canelo vs Crawford
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Main Event Preview | Canelo vs Crawford
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“You definitely fight an uphill battle being that those guys pack a bigger punch, they're heavier, they're more durable, and some of them are stronger,” he said. “So you definitely got challenges and things like that, but that's not saying that it's not possible. We’re in the game because we want to overcome them challenges and be successful in doing things that people say we shouldn't be doing. That's why the fighters dare to be great. If you can do it, your name will be mentioned forever. If you don't, it'll still be mentioned, because at least you tried. So the great fighters always dare to be great.”
Tune In Sept. 13, Event Is Live On Netflix. View The Lineup Here.
Terence Crawford is a great fighter. Canelo Alvarez is a great fighter. Now the talk is over and we get to see them both dare to be greater.