If there’s a narrative that has had every boxing fan hooked for the last two years, then hands down it’s the Canelo-Crawford story. It’s hard to imagine. Terence Crawford had been calling out Canelo Alvarez since the Spence Jr. fight. After brushing it aside, the Mexican superstar later demanded a hefty payout for a match. Many ups and downs followed. And voila! Fans finally have a fight they wanted. Crawford and Canelo are gearing up for a showdown at the Allegiant Stadium on September 13.
The recent media tours unfurled an aggressive Crawford. Confident about his victory, he told Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger, “I believe in myself, I believe in my punching power, and I believe with the right punch at the right time, I can do great damage.” But amid this build-up, where several fans regale themselves with an upbeat Crawford, a forgotten page from the past has turned up. Social media posts have been sharing an old clip of Crawford weighing in on the Canelo fight. Despite gaining some traction, its actual impact might be negligible. However, it appears to have tilted a few opinions. Mike Tyson’s son saw the footage, and he believes the September fight is going to end in only one way.
Amir Tyson‘s Instagram Story featured the Crawford clip. Laughing, he commented, “He said it, not me, lol.” But what may surprise a few fans was that he believes Canelo will retain his crown: “#caneloin7,” he added. So what did Crawford say that seemingly swayed Amir Tyson’s support?
Crawford is climbing up two divisions to face Canelo. While a daring move, many seem concerned. There are reasons why weight classes exist. And back in the day, Crawford sounded doubtful. He was unsure about fighting Canelo at 168 pounds. So in the interview, Crawford said, “Canelo, and he fights at 168+; so I don’t see me fighting him.” When the hosts asked him the highest weight he would be willing to move, Crawford responded, “I would say 154 realistically,” because, “Them boys get big up there.”
Then, being his humble self, he clarified his understanding of weight classes. “I respect the weight classes. I think 154 will be my max given my age,” said the man who is now going to fight his opponent at 168 pounds. He kept his word about reaching 154 pounds, though. Only that he dithered about staying back there.
The interview took place in August 2023, just a month after the Spence Jr. win.
Terence Crawford marching towards victory
Interestingly, around the time when he expressed doubts, Crawford expressed with aplomb that a catchweight fight with Canelo could do some justice to a potential clash. On ‘Breakfast Club,‘ he told Charlamagne tha God, “I mean, catchweight, we can do something at a catchweight…probably like 160 or something.”
Perhaps it would be more appropriate if one looked at it as a time when Terence Crawford traversed through uncertainties. He took some time before he could finally tell himself that he’s ready for a daunting challenge.
Boxen: 62nd WBC Annual Convention, Gala Dinner, Hamburg, 09.12.2024 Terence Crawford *** Boxing 62nd WBC Annual Convention, Gala Dinner, Hamburg, 09 12 2024 Terence Crawford
Canelo remains the heavy favorite. But at the same time, an increasing number of fans and pundits believe Crawford has a good chance of staging one of boxing’s greatest upsets. “I got Crawford, dude,” former two-division champion Tim Bradley told a reporter. His reasoning was simple. In his last fight, Canelo could barely harm a flighty William Scull. “He couldn’t catch a chicken in his last fight…. He couldn’t catch a chicken, so how the hell are you going to catch Crawford?” blasted Bradley.
And let’s not forget, Bill Haney is even willing to bet $100,000 on Crawford.
Crawford has left behind the past and reached a stage where he’s staring at history. The past may haunt. But if he beats Canelo, then he will definitely rewrite history.
What’s your take? Do you agree with Amir Tyson’s verdict?
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