Shakur Stevenson believes Terence Crawford will beat Canelo Alvarez and that he “can make it a very easy fight” when they meet in September.
WBC lightweight champion Stevenson says he’s been saying for years that he believes Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) will beat Canelo. He says Canelo won’t be able to get through Crawford’s punches because he feels he can hit at “any weight class.”
Crawford didn’t look strong in his debut at 154 against Israel Madrimov and couldn’t hurt him with his best shots. Madrymov looked like he was more dangerous and didn’t even load his punches like he usually does.
“Easy Work’ For Bud?
“I’ve been saying this for years. I’m probably the first to say this, even before Terence said it. I’ve always thought that (Crawford’s) style against Canelo, I think he beats Canelo,” Shakur Stevenson said in talkSport Boxing on his belief that Crawford will beat Canelo. “I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy fight, but he can make it a very easy fight.”
“I met Terence in Dubai and he’s really fatter. It has thickened recently. He’s 38,” Gareth A. Davies said of the older-looking Crawford. “It has thickened.”
“And that’s another thing. I don’t think Canelo gets through his punches. Terrence can punch and that goes for any weight class,” Shakur said.
As Shakur makes it sound, Crawford will stand in the pocket and go to war with Canelo in September. This is unrealistic given how Crawford has traditionally struggled against punchers. He tends to move around a lot, punching and jumping into punches.
Terence doesn’t stay in one place or blitz all the time. He fought aggressively against Errol Spence, but that was because he was fighting a guy who was a shell of his former self after his car accident.
To coordinate or not?
“It would be a little over a year (13 months). You have to be very careful if you’re going to fight over 160kg because it’s a new weight range,” said Chris Mannix. YouTube channel for Terence Crawford who needs to be careful getting in tune to stay sharp for his September fight against Canelo Alvarez.
It’s doubtful Crawford will risk taking a tuneup against a super middleweight to get his feet wet before fighting Canelo in September. If Terrence does fight in the weight class, it will be at a catchweight, likely against a middleweight who makes it to 163 or 164.
I could see Crawford fighting one of these middleweights at a catchweight around 164: Aaron McKenna, Liam Smith, Austin Williams or Kyrone Davis. These guys aren’t a threat to beat Crawford, and they’re ranked low in the middleweight division.
“Having only fought once at 154. I’m sure he can make weight. He’s a tall guy. I’m sure he can fill out his frame pretty well,” Mannix said of Crawford. “You have to be careful who you choose. You can’t pick a puncher. You can’t pick anyone really dangerous. You can’t risk that bread (for a Canelo fight).
“Remember when Oscar (De La Hoya) fought Stevie Forbes before he fought Mayweather?” Mannix said.
It would be a shock if Crawford gets a tune-up fight because he wouldn’t want to risk the money on the Canelo fight and is comfortable fighting once a year.
Crawford hasn’t been active in five years and certainly isn’t going to now that he’s on the verge of taking a career high payday against Alvarez.
2025-01-17 06:49:00
