On Saturday night in Las Vegas one of the biggest in years, and certainly of 2025, will take place when Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez faces Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium.
Canelo starts as a strong favourite but many from around the boxing industry beg to differ. The Mexican will defend his undisputed super middleweight crown against Crawford, who steps up two weight divisions. Much of the pre-fight discourse surrounds Canelo's size advantage - and whether Crawford's sublime skills can mitigate it.
Mike Tyson
Former world heavyweight champion
“I want Crawford to win, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. I would like for it to happen [but] this guy [Alvarez] is a hard puncher, he’s a smart fighter."
Pick: Canelo
Roy Jones Jr
Former four-weight world champion
“Bud [Crawford] has a great chance of winning the fight. I think Canelo also has a good chance of winning but I’d probably lean more towards Bud’s side because of the hunger issue. But Canelo is a guy that’s been there for a long time, and he’s not going to be beat easily by nobody. So that’s going to be a tough task for anybody to attack. But if anybody can do it, it is Bud Crawford.”
Pick: Crawford
Carl Froch
Former world super middleweight champion
“Crawford’s bigger than you think. I just think that size matters and he probably is bigger than the weight division he’s been campaigning at. He’ll grow into it. He’ll get some bulk on him and he’ll be comfortable in the ring. And he’s extremely talented. Very skilful. He’s certainly got the ability to beat anybody he gets in the ring with. I’d probably pick Crawford to beat Canelo.”
Pick: Crawford
Tyson Fury
Former world heavyweight champion
“This is a very tough fight, different weight categories. What weight will this fight be? I don’t know. If it’s at 168lbs, I’ll say Canelo. If it’s at 140lbs, I’ll say Crawford. So I’ll give the edge to Canelo.”
Pick: Canelo
David Benavidez
Two weight and current WBC light heavyweight champion
“I give Canelo the edge. He’s the bigger man. It’s a lot of weight for Crawford to jump. If anyone beats Canelo, it’s someone like Crawford. But the weight, the size … they matter.”
Pick: Canelo
Hamzah Sheeraz
Super middleweight No 1 contender
“I expect the fight to be very competitive for the first six rounds and then Canelo will take over and dominate.”
Pick: Canelo
Teddy Atlas
World champion trainer and pundit
“Before this fight was made and when it was only vaguely proposed, well, a lot of people poo poo’d it, ‘No, Crawford is too small, forget about it, it doesn’t make sense'. When it was going through those times, I didn’t hesitate. I said Crawford. I’m not changing now.”
Pick: Crawford
Tim Bradley
Former two division world champion
“Crawford is at a different level. He’s a GOAT, too, but he’s at a different level. He’s going to show everybody who is going to witness this on Netflix on September 13. He’s going to defy all the boxing odds. He’s going to rewrite the book.”
Pick: Crawford
Andre Ward
Former super middleweight champion
“I’m going with Terence Crawford. You know, big weight jump, dangerous fight, but somebody has got to prove to me that they can break Terence Crawford’s will and that he can’t figure it out against you.”
Pick: Crawford
Robert Garcia
World champion trainer
“That was a great move to bring Boots [Jarron Ennis] into camp. The choice means that Canelo wants to be in the best shape of his life. It's a big plus. I give Canelo an even bigger edge now because of the kind of training I am sure he's going through.”
Pick: Canelo
Eddie Hearn
Promoter
“This is the fight that will make Terence great. I give him every chance. I think size is going to be a problem, but is Canelo getting old? I just think the movement is going to cause [Canelo] a lot of problems.”
Pick: Crawford
Antonio Tarver
Former world light heavyweight champion
“Canelo hasn’t faced an opponent like this in a long time. Canelo is going to have to go back to the Caleb Plant fight [in 2021] and look that good, that active. Weight isn’t going to make a difference it’s going to be the skill set and how bad they want it.”
Pick: Crawford
George Groves
Former world super middleweight champion
“When the fight was made, I was just like, yeah Crawford's amazing, but Canelo's too big. And Canelo isn’t finished just yet. Crawford backs himself but I still think Alvarez will win this fight.”
Pick: Canelo
Carl Frampton
Former two-weight world champion
“I believe Crawford can beat Canelo, I genuinely do. I think he’s a very special fighter, as is Canelo, but I just think Canelo’s maybe slightly on the slide.”
Pick: Crawford
Joel Diaz
World champion trainer
“Canelo should win. I see Canelo beating Crawford by a convincing decision. There is no way Crawford beats Canelo.”
Pick: Canelo
Erik Morales
Former four-weight world champion
“Crawford is the longer fighter. He has more speed, better technique. If things go as planned, Crawford could take the fight.”
Pick: Crawford
Abel Sanchez
World champion trainer
“In my opinion, Canelo will be too big and is used to hitting heavier targets.”
Pick: Canelo
Amir Khan
Only man to have fought both
“Look, there’s weights for a reason in boxing, and even though I’ve got huge respect for Terence Crawford for showing the balls that he wants to go in the ring and fight a beast like Canelo, but like I said, Canelo … maybe Crawford sees something that, you know, other people have not seen against Canelo, which is, like, maybe he’s gone past his sell-by-date.”
Pick: Canelo
Vergil Ortiz Jr
Light middleweight contender
“I don't say this out of bias towards Canelo, but logically, a great bigger fighter beats a great smaller fighter.”
Pick: Canelo
Marco Antonio Barrera
Former three-weight world champion
“I don’t know about the weight difference. We saw Crawford fight [Israil] Madrimov at 154lbs I believe. He did not look like he used to, so having to jump all those weight classes to fight Canelo. It’s going to be hard, but I’ll watch it. I’ll tune in.”
Pick: Canelo
Shane Mosley
Former Canelo opponent and three-weight world champion
“They’re both great fighters, but Canelo is too big. They’re mistaking him for being just a regular guy at 168, and Crawford being the more talented. That’s not the case. They’re both talented.”
Pick: Canelo
Shakur Stevenson
Three weight and current world lightweight champion
“Bud [Crawford] is ready. Bud is always going to be on top of his game. He's going to come in there, sharp, fast, strong. That's the thing that's going to surprise a lot of people in this fight, Bud's power carries up. It's not power that was just there for 147 or 140, his power carries up. That's the biggest thing that's going to surprise everybody.”
Pick: Crawford
Shawn Porter
Former welterweight champion
"It’s perfect timing for both of these guys. This is a fight that both guys have the ability to win, I think that Canelo has been in enough wars and Terence hasn’t so health is on his side, the ability to be able to be 100 per cent on fight night is on Terence’s side."
Pick: Crawford
Claressa Shields
Five-weight women's champion
“You know I got Terence Crawford beating Canelo. I am not going to say knockout, but he's going to box [Canelo's] shoes off.”
Pick: Crawford
Paulie Malignaggi
Former light welterweight champion
“Crawford can win the fight. I just wonder if he can get a decision. That’s always the question with Canelo. Can anybody get a decision against Canelo? We know Bivol did, but he won essentially a 10-2, 11-1 fight, and they barely [gave it to him].”
Pick: Crawford
Totals:
Canelo 12, Crawford 13
