Canelo vs. Crawford Is The Best Boxing Matchup Since Mayweather-Pacquiao

In what will be the biggest fight in boxing since Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford are finalizing a deal for a Sept. 13 super middleweight championship fight, sources told ESPN boxing insider Mike Coppinger.

Err, biggest legitimate fight.

Since Mayweather retired that year, celebrity and farcical bouts have overrun the sport of boxing – including Mayweather's match against UFC fighter Conor McGregor in 2017 and 58-year-old Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul last November.

Canelo vs. Crawford is not that.

The fight pits Canelo, the biggest (legitimate) draw in boxing, against Crawford, the greatest fighter in boxing. Canelo currently holds a record of 66-2-2, with his only two losses coming against Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. Crawford has never lost and has knocked out 31 of his 41 opponents.

According to Coppinger, Alvarez still plans to fight on Cinco De Mayo weekend, the most lucrative weekend in the sport for a Mexican-born prize fighter.  

"Alvarez could fight William Scull, who grabbed the title stripped from Canelo last year, on May 3 in Las Vegas, sources said. A victory over Scull would once again crown Alvarez undisputed champion," Coppinger reports.

According to Ring Magazine, the fight is set to be held at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. It would be the first fight at the stadium.

Unlike other top fights since 2015 – namely Canelo vs. Gennady Golovkin in 2017 and Wilder vs. Fury II in 2021 – the winner between Crawford and Canelo can definitively stake his claim to the title of the best boxer of this era.

Adding to the intrigue, it's a legit 50-50 fight. While Crawford is the most skilled fighter, he has agreed to move up two weight classes, from 147 to 168, to challenge Canelo. 

At 147, Crawford is the most efficient fighter in the world – see his nine-round floor mopping of Errol Spense in 2023. However, Crawford jumped up to 154 against Israil Madrimov in August and looked beatable for the first time in his career.

If that version of Crawford shows up in Vegas, against Canelo, he will see a check added to his loss column for the first time in his career.

Crawford has the edge style-wise. Canelo is a devastating counterpuncher. Mayweather and Bivol mitigated Canelo's strength by landing a high percentage of punches. 

Even at a size disadvantage, Crawford should be able to land punches against Canelo. The question is whether Crawford can sustain power blows from Canelo.

Six months out, we give Canelo a slight advantage in what should be the most anticipated boxing bout in a decade.

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Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.