Pound-for-pound stars Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford look set to clash in a mega-fight later this year.
‘Bud’ Crawford will challenge the Mexican icon for his unified WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight titles, as the 37-year-old attempts to become a five-division world champion.
It is undoubtedly the biggest challenge yet for the two-division undisputed champion, who is tasked with jumping up two further weight classes to 168lbs to face Canelo who has been a dominant force in the division for almost five years.
The 34-year-old from Guadalajara, Mexico held the undisputed super middleweight championship up until last summer, but was subsequently stripped of his IBF crown after he chose to face Edgar Berlanga Jr instead of his mandatory challenger William Scull.
One man who knows Canelo better than most is promoter Eddie Hearn, who worked with the four-weight world champion up until 2023.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Hearn spoke about the potential weight difference between both fighters, claiming the 37-year-old American will have a ‘massive disadvantage’ on fight night that could see him weighing over 20lbs less than his opponent.
“Crawford won’t get a rehydration clause because Canelo just won’t do it. Crawford is gonna go into the ring probably 168 [or] 170, Canelo’s gonna be 190 pounds, or 185 pounds.
It’s a massive disadvantage and it becomes a way that you can’t win the fight.”
‘Bud’ made the step up to 154lbs last August when he dethroned WBA light middleweight champion Israil Madrimov, but faces an even bigger task when he challenges Canelo who is the naturally bigger man than him.
History beckons for the 37-year-old this September as he looks to become one of the few fighters in boxing history to win world titles in five weight divisions. The bout is set to take place at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with an official announcement expected in the coming weeks.
