When the possibility of a super fight with Terence Crawford was first floated around, Canelo Alvarez showed little to no interest.
Last year, the Mexican superstar insisted he had ‘nothing to gain and everything to lose’ in taking on Crawford, who operates two weight classes below Canelo’s natural home of super middleweight.
“If I beat him everyone will say he was too small,” said Canelo at the time.
However, the 34-year-old has since changed his mind on the fight and now has an agreement in place to box Crawford in September, providing he comes through his May 3 clash with William Scull for the undisputed super middleweight crown unscathed.
Explaining why he made the U-turn on squaring off with ‘Bud’, Canelo told Ring Magazine: “I can see people wanted to see that fight.
“I think it started to make sense and it is a possibility then. We will see after May.”
It wasn’t just Canelo that had his reservations about the fight.
Before his four-belt shootout with Errol Spence Jr at welterweight in July 2023, Crawford couldn’t comprehend moving up to super middleweight.
“What, 168lbs? I ain’t going up there,” he said.
But fast forward, 16 months and Crawford, who has since moved up to super welterweight to snatch the WBA belt from Israil Madrimov, is happy to fight Canelo at 168lbs without a rehydration clause.
“We don’t give a damn about that, you can only get so big,” Crawford’s trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ Mcintyre told Ring Magazine about the possibility of rehydration clause being inserted into the deal.
“If you get too big then that is on him. I love Terence’s chances.
“I have zero issues with it, Terence has zero issues with it…
“That’s some b********, that is some weak s****. ‘Oh you can’t come in at this much and s***.’
“Oh man, get the f*** out of here, it is boxing. You have the skills, I made the weight regardless of what I come back as.
“You accepted the fight, let’s fight as men, it is as simple as that.”
Canelo vs Crawford is being targeted for September 13 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
While Canelo will box in May, Crawford won’t have competed in just over a year – since he faced Madrimov in August 2024 – by the time he steps between the ropes.
