Tag

Canelo Alvarez

Browsing

Can a boxer go up three weight classes and defeat one of the greatest fighters in recent history? While it seems pretty unlikely, the former two-class world champion and boxing commentator Tim Bradley believes it’s possible, when asked about the potential super clash between Terence Crawford and Saúl Álvarez.

Canelo defended his undisputed super middleweight crown in style against Jermell Charlo last weekend at T-Mobile, Las Vegas, getting a clear unanimous win decision.

The Mexican was the favorite going into the fight against Mell, as he was fighting in his natural weight division and his opponent had to transform his body and was inactive since May 2022.

Although he has been very criticized for his previous performances against Dmitry Bivol, Caleb Plant, Gennady Golovkin, and John Ryder, Álvarez displayed all of his aggressiveness and punching power to knock his rival down and ultimately get his hand raised.

Bradley picks Crawford to beat Canelo

Although Canelo wasn’t able to get the job done via knockout against Charlo, he managed to offer a good image inside the ring in a fight he dominated from the initial bell.

Terence Crawford

Now, most of fans expect Canelo to face either David Benavidez or Terence Crawford next. Those two are probably the two most-anticipated fights for Álvarez, and while a clash with The Mexican Monster would be hugely accepted by the boxing community, a bout with Crawford would undoubtedly be a great match.

The current pound-for-pound No. 1 would have to go from 147 to 168 lbs to challenge Canelo, but a win for the American would be one of the biggest ones the sport has ever seen and would make him undisputed champion in three weight divisions.

Tim Bradley feels that Bud would get the better of Canelo if he managed to execute the gameplan he used against Errol Spence Jr. in July.

“I think Crawford will be a lot better on the inside than Canelo. Although Canelo is strong, I think that Crawford can be able to maneuver and push him in certain ways and get certain shots off, whereas a guy like Charlo didn’t have that ability” Bradley said to Fighthype.

“If he can go up to 168 and beat that Canelo Alvarez, that’s historical stuff, and I think that Crawford is willing to do it. He’s that crazy. I would back him because I think he’s different, and I know some of you will be like, ‘He’s your friend. You’re going to back him”, he added.

Canelo Alvarez successfully defended his undisputed crown against Jermell Charlo on September 30 by unanimous decision. After the fight, Alvarez claimed to be the best boxer as of now. He even stated that nobody could beat this version of himself. Instantly, the pundits had two contenders ready who they believed could pose a problem for the pound-for-pound king. One is the interim WBC super middleweight champion, David Benavidez, and the other is the undisputed welterweight champion, Terence Crawford.

America’s Favorite Video Today

Both fights are highly anticipated, and both fighters have shown interest in challenging ‘Cinnamon’ for his four titles in the super middleweight division. Alvarez has proven by beating Jermell Charlo that he still hasn’t lost a step in the sweet science. But the fans need more now that the legendary boxing commentator has voiced his opinion about both fights.

Terence Crawford

Sports commentator talks about the potential mega fights of Canelo Alvarez

In a recent interview with Fight Hub TVJim Lampley discussed the possibility of both bouts. At first, he spoke objectively and talked about how one of these fights made more sense than the other. He said, “I think the David Benavidez fight is a logical matchup. I think a lot of people will want to see it, it makes a lot of sense.

He confessed he feels subjectively that he’d want Alvarez to take a fight against Terence Crawford. So, Lampley desires to witness another undisputed vs. undisputed clash. He said, “Terence Crawford is the most violent force in boxing and I don’t think he’s big enough to match with Canelo Alvarez but I think he’d love to have a chance to prove it.” Well, the size is a big thing for Lampley; he even blamed the size difference for Alvarez’s loss against Dmitry Bivol.

Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford are both coming off dominant victories – but with ‘Bud’ challenging the Mexican ace, will we see this cross-division mega-fight soon? And who wins?

Boxing rarely gets these opportunities, when the sport’s biggest global superstar (Canelo) and pound-for-pound no.1 (Crawford) are – just about – in touching distance when it comes to weight and able to face-off in the ring.

It happened in 2007 when Floyd Mayweather moved up to take on Oscar De La Hoya, a fight that generated $130million in revenue. In 2023, after Alvarez dismantled Jermell Charlo, Crawford announced on social media: “Canelo vs Crawford is the biggest fight in boxing.”

Alvarez praised Crawford after his one-sided beatdown of welterweight rival Errol Spence, proclaiming: “Congrats Terence Crawford, you are a f***ing great fighter, well deserve[d].”

Terence Crawford

The Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight unification super-fight is undoubtedly a bigger deal to fight fans in the UK. But in terms of global interest, given the status of Canelo and Crawford in the USA, South and Central America – Canelo vs Crawford feels even more momentous.

But will we see it in the ring? Canelo cooled talk after his 12-round clinic against Charlo, saying: “Right now, the fight with Terence Crawford, it doesn’t make sense.” But quickly added: “I just won, let me enjoy this.”

So that indicates the 33-year-old just wanted to bask in his victory, rather than rule out a future Crawford showdown. Despite the three weight divisions between them, it’s actually a contest that makes perfect sense for both fighters – even beyond just the hundreds of millions of dollars on the table for it.

Alvarez boasted “nobody can live with this Canelo” as, fully fit again after wrist surgery, he laid a beating on Charlo. It clearly annoys this proud warrior that after his defeat by Dimitry Bivol at 175lb and then two uninspiring wins, he has slipped down the pound-for-pound rankings.

There are two realistic ways Canelo can put himself back in contention for no.1 spot. Defeat Bivol in a rematch – a tricky challenge given the larger Russian may just always have his number style-wise.

Or become the first man to beat Crawford, a smaller, older boxer who’s never fought above welterweight in his life.