“He’s not a machine, he bleeds like me. I don’t have to knock him out, I just have to beat him”
The American fighter analyzes the fight, which is not official yet, against the Mexican and claims he has the tools to finish it.
Although it’s not official yet, everyone is excited about the fight between Canelo Álvarez (62-2-2, 29 KO) and Terence Crawford (41-0-0, 31 KO). Everything indicates that this fight will take place after summer, or at least that’s what Turki Al-Sheikh has in mind after the Mexican fighter unifies the super middleweight division on May 3 against William Scull (23-0-0, 9 KO) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Crawford has spoken about this match and claims he has the necessary tools to finish it.
Terence Crawford tells The Ring he believes he would be a “top three pound-for-pound fighter of all time” if he were to beat Canelo Alvarez. pic.twitter.com/ApdmQw6c0Y
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 22, 2025
In an interview with Manouk Akopyan, the former undisputed welterweight champion and current WBO super welterweight titleholder analyzed the fight against Canelo. “I don’t have to knock him out, I just have to beat him. I’m not going in there looking for the KO. Could it happen? Yes, absolutely. When I analyze him, he’s a ‘small big guy’ moving up divisions. These bigger guys are slower, they might hit him, but he sees it at the last moment,” Crawford explained.
The Mexican fighter, holding the super middleweight belts, has faced bigger opponents, such as Dmitry Bivol (24-1-0, 12 KO). Crawford, coming from two lower weight classes, believes his size and speed will work in his favor. “I come from a lighter division, which is faster and more precise. If he gets hit with a clean shot he doesn’t see, he can be hurt. He’s not a machine, he’s human like me, he bleeds like me,” the American fighter stated.
Terence, although he does not rule out a KO, will not go in with that in mind. His strategy will be to wear him down, something that could be much more effective coming from a lower weight class.
“I won’t step in thinking: ‘I can’t hurt him,’ but I also won’t step in thinking: ‘I’ll try to knock him out.’ I’m going to fight my fight, and if the KO happens, then of course I’ll take it,” the American concluded.
GGG’s former trainer against the fight
One of Canelo’s most well-known rivals was, without a doubt, Gennady Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KO). They faced each other three times, with the first being a draw. He was one of the toughest opponents for the Mexican fighter. The Kazakh’s former trainer, Abel Sánchez, has been very critical of this match due to the weight difference between both boxers.
“The fight after Scull seems ridiculous to me. They are two completely different fighters. Canelo has taken punches from bigger guys, and no one has hurt him, so I don’t think this fight should happen,” Sánchez stated in BoxingNews.
“I’ve said it from the beginning, but the money is there for both, so it’s going to happen, although it’s not a fight I would pay to see,” Abel said. Additionally, he sees a clear victory for the Mexican and does not think it will be competitive, as his advantage is too great.
“I think Canelo will stop him. And it’s not because Terence lacks talent. Terence is a skilled fighter, but we are talking about a big man, used to fighting against other big men. Eventually, he will catch Crawford, punish him, and hurt him,” he concluded.