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Promoter Bob Arum says he’s not counting out his former fighter Terence Crawford in a title problem towards WBA/WBC/WBO tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in the event that they meet this September in a 12-round mega-fight.
Swap-Hitting Risk
Arum feels that Crawford’s (37-year-old, 39 KOs) skill to modify hits will hassle Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs), simply because it did Errol Spence once they fought in 2023. Errol was overmatched towards Crawford, wanting gradual, drained, and nowhere close to the fighter he’d been in 2018.
Crawford’s turning southpaw on Canelo most likely gained’t confuse the Mexican star as a result of he’s fought many left-handed fighters and has by no means had points with them. If Bud turns southpaw, it gained’t impression the battle apart from him taking heavy pictures whereas in a unique stance.
The true challenge that Arum doesn’t point out is Crawford being too previous, small, and weak to be combating at 168. He’s possible hoping to go up 14 lbs and duplicate what Floyd Mayweather Jr. did towards a then 22-year-old Canelo in 2013.
If Mayweather and Canelo fought now, the model of Floyd who fought Canelo would get knocked out. Alvarez is far stronger and extra skilled now, and he would by no means comply with a catchweight of 152 lbs. Floyd simply threw jabs, single proper arms, held and moved all evening.
That fashion wouldn’t work now as a result of Canelo would land the more durable pictures and be seen because the aggressor, forcing Floyd to run. Crawford will do the identical as a result of he’s too previous and weak to face and commerce with Canelo. Simply so you understand, Terence turns 38 in September.
“I wouldn’t count Crawford out in any fight because he has a unique talent; he’s a great boxer-puncher, and he’s totally ambidextrous,” mentioned Bob Arum to Fighthype when requested about Terence Crawford’s possibilities towards Canelo Alvarez.
“He drives his opponent loopy as a result of they practice to battle a right-handed fighter, and finally ends up combating a southpaw. That’s what occurred to Errol [when he fought Crawford on June 29, 2023]. Spence skilled for a right-handed fighter and all he noticed was a southpaw fighter.
“I think what Crawford is looking for is Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De La Hoya,” mentioned Arum about what sort of upset state of affairs Terence is on the lookout for towards Canelo.
No Catchweight
It was a unique state of affairs when Oscar De La Hoya fought Manny Pacquiao in 2008. De La Hoya was a washed-up part-time fighter by that time in his profession, and he’d been combating at junior middleweight. He agreed to face Pacquiao at a catchweight at 145 after which took off an excessive amount of weight by weight-reduction plan. He appeared horrible, making weight, and it confirmed within the battle.
Canelo wouldn’t be weight-reduction plan or coming down in weight for Crawford, and he’s not an over-the-hill, part-time fighter like Oscar was. If Crawford thinks that Canelo will likely be one other De La Hoya, he’s fooling himself. They’re two completely different individuals.
Canelo stays in form, and he’s not going to agree to offer Bud a catchweight handicap like De La Hoya did with Pacquiao. Oscar ought to have by no means finished that as a result of he was the ‘Golden Boy,’ the celebrity in that battle, and he might have insisted Pacquiao transfer as much as 154 to battle him. That was a bizarre state of affairs the place De La Hoya bent over backward to offer Manny a greater likelihood to even the enjoying subject. By doing so, he weakened himself and misplaced.
