Terence Crawford opted to move on from the welterweight division, leaving a fight with Jaron Ennis behind in order to pursue Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez at super-middleweight.
‘Bud’ has since had one fight at super-welterweight to close the gap slightly, winning the WBA World Title to become a four-division champion.
The next time he steps through the ropes will be against Canelo at 168 pounds, 14 pounds more than his last fighting weight. Canelo, though he has been defeated twice in 66 fights, has never been bested at super-middle and boasts one of the best chins in the business.
Despite the disadvantages on paper, Crawford is adamant he has the skillset to move up and dethrone the Mexican king. He will attempt to do so with no rehydration clause or weight stipulations.
‘Boots’ Ennis gives him a good chance, too, although he told Seconds Out that Alvarez has the edge.
“It’s a 50-50 fight but you gotta give the edge to Canelo.”
The bout, set for this September in Las Vegas, will be number two for Canelo in a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. The first will come in May against new IBF Champion William Scull, who picked up the vacant belt when Canelo was stripped for refusing to face him as a mandatory challenger.
The unification fight presents the 34-year-old a chance to become two-time undisputed in the division, an extra carrot for Crawford later in the year, who has already won all four belts in two weight-classes.
