Oscar De La Hoya has a fractious relationship with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez but insists any predictions he makes involving the Mexican are unbiased, including one for the potential Terence Crawford match-up.
Crawford wants to move up a further two divisions to face his fellow four-weight world champion Canelo in a legacy-defining fight.
Although Canelo has been relatively dismissive of the bout in the past, claiming he will get no credit for the win, he has since said he will consider any offer put in front of him. With both men in the market for an opponent and nothing huge on the horizon, the fight has become more likely for 2025.
If it happens, De La Hoya sees a clear winner. Despite bad blood with Alvarez following an extremely bitter promotional split, he told Fight Hub TV that, due to Crawford’s size, it would be like a ‘no contest.’
“At 154, [Crawford] didn’t really look too dangerous up in the ring, against a beast. So imagine Canelo being the bigger guy, being a beast, it’s almost like a no contest. I mean, come on, when has a smaller good guy ever beaten a good bigger guy. It’s never happened in the history of the sport. It’s rare.”
The switch-hitter from Omaha is confident he can bridge the gap in weight with his elite skillset, and some in the sport, including famed trainer and analyst Teddy Atlas, back him to do so.
The fight must be made first, and that is by no means a foregone conclusion. The ball is very much in Canelo’s court. Crawford has recently commented on reports he may retire if he doesn’t land it.
