World boxing champion gives his opinion on the fight between Crawford and Canelo Alvarez: “He is one of my favorite boxers”

Terence Crawford will be attempting wrest Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez’s unified WBC, WBA and WBO 168lb titles from the Mexican in the much anticipated mega-fight set for 13 September in Las Vegas.

Crawford is undefeated with a 41-0 record, including 31 KOs, and believes a win over Álvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) will cement his legacy as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

The two boxers who have defeated Canelo Álvarez

Only two men have managed to beat the Mexican - Floyd Mayweather Jr was the first. Mayweather won the 12-round bout by majority decision at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in September 2013.

The only other boxer to get the better of Canelo was Dmitry Bivol. The two met in the billed as Legacy is Earned bout at T-Mobile Arena in Nevada in May 2022. Like Mayweather, the Russian went the full 12 rounds and won the final three rounds on all three judges scorecards to win on decision and bring Canelo’s 16-fight unbeaten streak to an end.

Bivol was asked by Ring Magazine whether Crawford could become the third man to beat Canelo. “First reaction of course it was the size of Crawford. Is it okay for him to move up two weight classes or not? But then I saw him in Dubai, maybe a month ago and I thought he’s big,” the undisputed WBA light-heavyweight title holder says.

Bivol feels Crawford has a chance to beat Canelo

“He has very good skills. He’s one of my favorite boxers. He’s able to win this fight. But there are a lot of ‘buts’… Even not ‘buts’, a lot of things we don’t know he’ll deal with. He will need to get used to the power and pressure of 168, because it’s a big difference.

“Maybe he will get used to it. How he will be feeling himself on fight day. How his training camp is going. A lot of things. But he’s able [to beat Canelo]. He has a lot of skills. He’s awkward. He can use the two stances. It gives him benefits,” Bivol added.

The Russian also highlighted the psychological side of the fight, which he feels could also be a determining factor.

“It’s not about only getting used to the power - it’s also about being mentally ready,” he said. “Because when people are not prepared mentally, they are afraid or scared, your body becomes weak. When something happens and you weren’t ready for it, we all know the feelings like the body melts.

“Mentality is very important for this fight. Even if he is one or two weight classes lower, if he’s mentally ready he will be ready to get his punches and be okay with it. He could be good,” he concluded.

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