It’s been hailed ‘The Fight of the Century’ — which isn’t exactly subtle.
And nor should it be.
Understanding history, legacy, immortality — and undeniably, bagfuls of cash — all go on the line this Sunday when Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford throw down in a Las Vegas blockbuster for all the marbles.
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In Alvarez, you have boxing’s biggest draw.
That, and the undisputed super middleweight king.
With a gutsy Crawford now moving up two divisions to take said title for himself.
Which if successful, would be some achievement given ‘Bud’ has already won not only titles across four weight classes, but gone undisputed in two — super lightweight and welterweight.
Beat Canelo, and he becomes the first fella to be undisputed in three divisions.
Of course, Canelo’s own name has been made fighting the best men alive.
So can he also become the first man ever to best Crawford? And what chance he knocks him out?
Or does Bud go and win it all against the odds?
Below, Fox Sports Australia looks at all this among the biggest questions facing both fighters this Sunday.
WHY IS CRAWFORD HERE?
Money, legacy, all of it.
While both men can conceivably lay claim to ‘Greatest Fighter of the Modern Era’ with a win this Sunday, there is no doubting ‘Bud’ is the fighter who can win biggest of the two.
Given he is the smaller man moving up significantly in weight, Crawford can etch his name onto boxing’s Mt Rushmore – or whatever other metric you want to use – should he go and upset the most popular fighter on the planet.
Incredibly, he would also become the first man to become undisputed across three divisions.
When it comes to the cash, it’s suggested that his guaranteed purse is significantly less than Alvarez, although still anywhere from $15 million to five times that.
Yet know this is also a big reward, big risk fight for the reigning WBA super welterweight champ.
A belt he won last start, and in his first showing at the weight.
Should Crawford lose, gone forever is that unbeaten run currently stretching seventeen years and 41 fights.
His podium pound-for-pound ranking would also take a big hit.
The WBA have also already announced that, while Crawford will be introduced as their super welterweight champ for the fight, he will then relinquish the strap as soon as that opening bell sounds.
Wonderfully though, Crawford is punting big.
With the American looming as Canelo’s toughest opponent since the Mexican lost when moving up to challenge Dmitry Bivol for the light heavyweight title in 2022.
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WHY IS CANELO HERE?
Largely, due to lots of money and little options.
Prizefighting, as the name suggests, is all about the prize.
And given his current standing as boxing’s biggest draw, Canelo is rumoured to be making anywhere up to $200 million for a fight being bankrolled by Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh.
Which may explain why the Mexican opened this week’s fight build with a $6 million shopping spree – and for nothing more than a couple of wristwatches.
Undeniably, Canelo’s legacy can only be enhanced should he become the first man ever to beat Crawford.
However, the fighter has already conceded he will not receive the same praise a victorious Crawford would, given his triumph will be over the much smaller man.
Regardless, it can also be argued that, apart from Turki getting the fights he wants, Canelo is fighting Sunday because he also has few other options.
And, yes, everyone has wanted to see him fight David Benavidez by now.
But that isn’t happening.
And hasn’t come close during the champ’s recent run of uninspiring scalps – which includes William Scull, Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia and John Ryder.
Before that, there was also a lopsided decision win over Jermell Charlo, who had himself moved up two weight classes after having become undisputed super welterweight king.
Most recently, there was even talk of Canelo fighting Jake Paul.
Around which time His Excellency stepped up…
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HOW DIFFICULT IS CRAWFORD’S RISE IN WEIGHT?
Huge.
Despite having already become an undisputed champion in two divisions, the American superstar is now effectively moving up three weight classes – or 10kg – for this shot.
Only once has Crawford fought at even super welterweight.
That was in August last year, when he scored a decision win over Israil Madrimov, who was the reigning WBA champ.
But now Bud is moving up two divisions again, and against a fighter who himself holds all four major straps.
As revealed earlier this week by Fox Sports Australia, the man helping Crawford bulk up for the biggest fight of his career is Australia’s Gavin Pratt, who doubles as Director of Strength and Conditioning at the UFC Performance Institute.
The move is a huge ask for Crawford, who could have stayed at 147 pounds and fought, say, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, or chased other belts. Another option was to try and become undisputed at middleweight.
Instead, he is going all in against boxing’s most bankable name.
IS THIS REALLY ‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’?
Wouldn’t be our pick, no.
While Sunday’s showdown is an undeniable slobberknocker, it’s hard to argue for it even being the biggest of the modern era – especially ahead of that 2015 showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Same deal for Mayweather’s 2017 bout against UFC megastar Conor McGregor, a fight which generated 4.3 million pay-per-view buys and upwards of $900 million in total revenue.
Yet it’s worth noting that, despite the hype surrounding each of those events, Mayweather handed Pacquiao a lopsided decision loss in the first fight and effectively carried McGregor for as long as he could tolerate in the second.
There is no doubting this fight, as far as spectacles go, could smash both.
WILL THE WINNER BE CROWNED NO.1 POUND-FOR-POUND?
Um, that all depends on who wins.
Should Crawford move up two weight classes and become the undisputed champion of a third division … will, how the bloody hell do you argue against him going above Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk?
But if Canelo defends against the smaller man, that isn’t the same thing.
Currently, ESPN has the Mexican megastar ranked No.8 P4P.
A win would likely push him into most people’s top five.
WHAT CHANCE A KO BONUS FROM TURKI?
If we had to bet the farm, we’d wager on this fight going the distance.
Sure, Saudi promoter Turki Al-Sheikh is offering up a lucrative KO bonus if one man sparks out the other.
But Canelo he has one of the fight game’s greatest chins.
With Crawford’s challenge also made that much harder by his significant rise in weight.
Which may explain why Bud is paying $9 for a finish.
Alvarez, meanwhile, is less than half that to do the same, or $4.
However it should be noted the superstar has had every one of his past seven fights go the distance, with his most recent finish against Caleb Plant in 2021.
Speaking on his YouTube channel this week however, Australia’s George Kambosos insisted Canelo would not only win, but get it done inside the distance.
“There are weight divisions in boxing for a reason,” the former champ said. “And (with Crawford) coming up all the way to super middleweight when you’ve fought at welterweight, junior welterweight, lightweight as well … I’m going Canelo by stoppage.”
WHERE IS THE EVENT BEING HELD?
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.
A joint which, dubbed the Death Star, and home to the Las Vegas Raiders, also now plays host to the travelling NRL roadshow when rugby league starts its season in the world’s entertainment capital.
According to those on the ground, Sunday’s fight is approaching a 65,000 sellout.
Previously, the biggest Las Vegas boxing crowd is 29,214.
That occurred when Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney threw down in a specifically-created outdoor arena at Caesars Palace in 1982.
WHAT ARE THE BOOKIES SAYING?
Unsurprisingly, Alvarez is short with the oddsmakers.
At the time of writing, the Mexican superstar was a $1.58 TAB favourite, with Crawford $2.40.
Elsewhere, SportsBet have Canelo paying slightly wider, $1.62, with Crawford $2.50.
It’s worth noting Alvarez has not been an underdog since 2018, and his second fight with Gennady Golovkin.
Yet there are still plenty of big boxing names backing ‘Bud’, among them the likes of Teddy Atlas, Amir Khan, Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, even Australia’s Tim Tszyu.
“I think Crawford can hurt Canelo,” Tszyu said recently. “He has variety, and the shots that you don’t see coming.
“I think he can do damage.
“In my opinion, from the way Canelo has looked in his last couple of fights, I think Crawford wins.”
WHO ELSE CAN WIN BIG IN LAS VEGAS ON SUNDAY?
Apart from the fans? Undeniably, UFC boss Dana White.
With around 100 fighters already said to be signed to his new Zuffa Boxing stable, Canelo-Crawford will be White’s official debut as the newest heavyweight player in boxing.
Of course, much is still to play out before his new life as a Sweet Science promoter begins in earnest.
Most notably, a new bill is currently working its way through US Congress which would allow enough change to the Ali Act for White to create a boxing league similar to the UFC.
With White’s new foray being bankrolled by His Excellency, there is talk of Zuffa Boxing holding at least four massive events each year, with smaller tournaments then modelled around his Dana White Contender Series.
Stay tuned.
WHAT ABOUT ON THE UNDERCARD?
Already, there is plenty of hype building around unbeaten Irish prospect Callum Walsh, who is coached by Freddy Roach, mentored by Dana White and has UFC star Tabatha Ricci as his partner.
Due to all this, and more, Walsh (14-0, 11KOs) has been given the coveted co-main spot against undefeated Fernando Vargas Jnr.
The son of a boxing star, Vargas Jnr is undefeated in 17 bouts, winning 15 via KO.
Elsewhere, expect plenty of action when interim WBC super middleweight champ Christian Mbilli throws down against Lester Martinez. The winner of that fight could also potentially challenge whoever triumphs in the main event.
Mbilli (29-0, 24KOS) has stopped four of his past five opponents, and will be looking to do the same against an undefeated Martinez (19-0, 16KOs).
HOW DO I WATCH?
Sunday’s fight is being shown on Netflix, with the live stream to start at 11am (AEST).
The event headlines a huge weekend for Australian fight fans, with UFC Noche also taking place in the United States on the same day – with the main event having potential title ramifications for Alexander Volkanovski.
That involves a massive showdown between UFC featherweight contenders Jean Silva and Diego Lopes, the latter of whom lost a title fight to Volk earlier this year.
Intriguingly, Australia’s Liam Paro will also potentially get an early look at his future on Sunday morning.
Next Thursday in Brisbane, Paro throws down in an IBF welterweight title eliminator against France’s undefeated David Papot.
Exactly who the winner faces will be decided this Sunday, when Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan face off in Belfast for the vacant title. That bout will be shown live on DAZN from 4am.
Elsewhere, Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue also fights Sunday, defending all four super bantamweight straps against Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
CANELO v CRAWFORD FULL CARD
Netflix Main Card
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford – 12 rounds (super middleweight)
Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr – 10 rounds (super welterweight)
Christian Mbili vs. Lester Martinez – 10 rounds (super middleweight)
Mohammed Alakel vs. Travis Kent Crawford – 10 rounds (catchweight)
YouTube preliminaries
Serhii Bohachuk vs. Brandon Adams – 10 rounds (catchweight)
Ivan Dychko vs. Jermaine Franklin – 10 rounds (heavyweight)
Reito Tsutsumi vs. Javier Martinez – 6 rounds (super featherweight)
Sultan Almohamed vs. Martin Caraballo – 4 rounds (super lightweight)
Steven Nelson vs. Raiko Santana – 10 rounds – (light heavyweight)
Marco Verde vs. Marcos Osorio-Betancourt – 6 rounds (super middleweight)
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