Former unified light-heavyweight world champion Antonio Tarver has shared his thoughts on the upcoming clash between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
The pound-for-pound superstars are set to do battle for the undisputed super-middleweight world championship on Saturday September 13 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
‘Bud’ Crawford is due to make his first ring appearance at super-middleweight, having spent almost the entirety of his professional career campaigning at welterweight where he became the undisputed champion with a victory over Errol Spence Jr back in 2023.
Canelo has proved himself to be one of the greatest super-middleweights of his generation in recent years, reigning as the undisputed champion on two occasions whilst racking up victories over the likes of Jaime Munguia, Jermell Charlo and Gennady Golovkin along the way.
With the Canelo vs. Crawford fight fast approaching, many of boxing’s biggest names have offered their thoughts, including Tarver, who famously picked up two wins over Roy Jones Jr in his career.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Tarver shared an honest verdict on the upcoming showdown, where he claims the Mexican icon will only need ‘one punch’ to get the job done over the unbeaten 37-year-old.
“Canelo only need one punch, you know what I mean, that’s really basically what it boils down to. I think Canelo only needs one shot to change the game, or change the fight. Crawford’s gonna have to stay consistent and win out, gonna have to get ahead and stay ahead.
“Also looming is the controversy. Can Crawford win a close decision? I could never win a close decision. That’s what looming. I think if Crawford is gonna guarantee victory, he’s got to stop him … that’s gonna be a challenge. He’s in for a hell of a fight.”
There have been concerns raised about the significant weight and size discrepancy between Canelo and Crawford, considering ‘Bud’ began his professional career around the 130 pound weight limit.
Canelo has jumped up to light-heavyweight during his career where he has shared the ring with both Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol, proving that he has what it takes to move between the weights to face the bigger opponents.
History beckons for ‘Bud’ Crawford however as victory for the 37-year-old from Omaha would see him become the first male fighter in the history of boxing to capture an undisputed championship in three divisions, having already achieved this at super-lightweight and welterweight respectively.
