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CRAWFORD MAY RETIRE WITHOUT CANELO FIGHT

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

Terence Crawford could retire if he does not get the Canelo Alvarez fight.

That is according to Eddie Hearn. Crawford is a four-weight world champion, having beaten Israil Madrimov in his last fight to win the WBA belt at 154. He is a two-weight undisputed champion, achieving it at 140 and 147. He became the first Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the four-belt era by beating Errol Spence Jr. last year.

Crawford called out Canelo after beating Madrimov. It would require him to move up two weight classes. A win makes him one of the best to do it, despite his current accomplishments. While it won’t be for undisputed after Canelo was stripped of his IBF belt, it is still a legacy-defining fight. Alvarez has only lost to Dmitry Bivol and Floyd Mayweather Jr., showing Crawford’s tough task.

Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

READ: Video Highlights: Floyd Mayweather replaces referee mid-fight, dominates John Gotti III in chaotic rematch

“I don’t think Crawford wants a Boots fight.  I don’t think Crawford will fight again unless he fights Canelo Alvarez because he’s got money, he’s getting on [in age]. He escaped one in the [Israil] Madrimov fight, and I don’t think he wants to fight Vergil Ortiz. I don’t think he wants to fight Boots Ennis because he’s looking at these fights and saying, ‘They’re not really legacy mega-fights. I want mega-money, mega-fights, or I’m chilled,’ and good luck to him,” Hearn said

Canelo appears to have dismissed the fight again. He was vocal about Crawford’s last fight, as he questioned whether he was suited to 154. Madrimov landed more power punches than Crawford,

while Bud’s punches were not enough to keep his opponent at bay. Crawford’s reluctance to fight the other 154-pounders suggests he wants to cash out with the Canelo fight. Alvarez said he would get no credit for beating a smaller fighter.

Canelo has also expressed his desire to face other opponents. The David Benavidez fight could still happen if the Saudis put up a big number. Alvarez has said he wanted $200 million to take the fight. The Saudis paid Tyson Fury over $100 million for the two Oleksandr Usyk fights, meaning that a similar figure could tempt Canelo into taking it. Meanwhile, Alvarez stated that he would box Dmitry Bivolagain at 175.

Canelo lost a one-sided unanimous decision in 2022. However, he admitted he had a hand issue which plagued him during the fight. The rematch never happened due to differences over the weight class. Canelo wanted to run things back at 175 to rule out claims that Bivol would be drained at 168.

As for Bivol, the boxer chased a fight at 168 to secure Canelo undisputed title at the time. Alvarez is now not undisputed, meaning a fight at 175 is more likely. Bivol boxes Artur Beterbievon October 12 for the right to become undisputed at 175. Canelo wanted to box the winner.

“Yes it’s possible. It’s the only fight I’d make one more time at 175lbs – the rematch with Bivol,” Canelo said 

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BOXING

Floyd Mayweather boxes John Gotti III soundly in exhibition rematch

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Floyd Mayweather John Gotti III

The rematch puts this surprise rivalry to bed.

The Floyd Mayweather Jr.-John Gotti III exhibition rematch didn’t have any excessive trash talk or brawl.

It was just a self-proclaimed “The Best Ever” in Mayweather serving up a boxing clinic over eight two-minute rounds to put this surprise rivalry to bed Saturday night at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, and live on DAZN.

The 47-year-old boxing legend did what he wanted in the ring from establishing the jab to piecing together combinations, touching the body and eluding Gotti III’s shots, while flashing smiles along the way.

Floyd Mayweather John Gotti III

 

JUST IN: Video Highlights: Floyd Mayweather replaces referee mid-fight, dominates John Gotti III in chaotic rematch

“We had to put on a show for the people. I want to thank Gotti for being a man of his word,” Mayweather said live on DAZN, while the two men embraced, seemingly burying any lingering bad blood.

Gotti III added: “He still got it.”

The only bit of controversy that the bout included came during the second round when the referee stopped the action to warn Mayweather about punching behind the head to which “Money” repeatedly told him to “move!” In a way, his demands came to fruition as the referee was immediately replaced.

When the action resumed, Mayweather picked up where he left off by re-establishing the jab like clockwork to little resistance as the prodding weapong split Gotti III’s jab.

Gotti III couldn’t figure Mayweather’s sweet science out and there’s no shame in that considering Mayweather’s 50-0 record signals that none of his opponents could resolve his brilliant boxing, either.

After the bout, Mayweather seemingly dismissed the idea of having an exhibition bout with another boxing legend in Julio Cesar Chavez, 62, heaping praise onto the Hall of Famer for paving his way, instead.

Here’s how the entire Mayweather vs. Gotti III rematch main card went.

Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III: Round by Rounds Updates and Highlights

Video Highlights: Floyd Mayweather replaces referee mid-fight, dominates John Gotti III in chaotic rematch

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BOXING

“I Can Do Whatever I Want”: Canelo Alvarez Blasts IBF for Stripping Him off Super Middleweight Title

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Canelo Alvarez IBF

Canelo Alvarez stands at the pinnacle of the boxing world.

There might not be any name as big as his in the boxing community right now, and the gold straps around his waist only add to his allure. But the IBF took one of them from him for not fighting his mandatory William Scull. The Mexican champion believes he made himself championship-worthy, not the other way around.

Alvarez, 34, has faced flak for not fighting the name the fans want him to face, David Benavidez. But with four straps and only two fights a year, he could only do so much. What’s more? He believes he has fought his way to stardom and now deserves to have his way. Alvarez, at 61-2-2, has questioned the IBF’s decision to take away his title as he weighs it against his popularity and his title of ‘face of boxing’. Did Scull fit the bill as his opponent? Did fans want to see the fight?

Canelo Alvarez next fight: Undisputed crown under threat but Crawford dream remains - Dexerto

READ: ‘It’s Going To Be Tough’ – Joshua Doubts Fury Can Beat Usyk

Alvarez doubted that. He expressed the same when he sat down for an interview with ‘Million Dollaz Worth of Game’. Drawing parallels with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mike Tyson, he pointed out that all the superstars fought, whom they thought were better for their business and resume, not for holding onto their championships after they had cemented their hold on the top. The Guadalajara native said, “[Oscar] De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Julio Cesar Chavez, Mike Tyson, everybody did this. There are stars and superstars, and they made the championship, not the championship made them.”

“The IBF [says], ‘Hey, you need to fight with this because this.’ Who’s [William] Scull? I never hear about him… I’m not gonna do whatever they want, I want to do what I want. In this position, I can do whatever I want. Because I deserve it, because of all I did,” Alvarez added.

While he is one of the biggest stars in the boxing world, he will go against the Noche UFC on the same weekend, as both events share the same date. But he has confidence in his fan base, his fame, and his name.

In the same interview, Alvarez shed light on sharing the same night as Noche UFC, which will happen a few blocks away from his fight in T-Mobile Arena. The UFC has booked the Sphere and has already spent $17 million on the promotion. But the super middleweight champion is undeterred. He declared, “Maybe other boxing matches, maybe, but Canelo is different. There are other kind of fights, but Canelo is just different. I don’t care if the UFC is there, when Canelo fights, it’s different.”

It remains to be seen how well Alvarez’s fight with Edgar Berlanga fares on the business side of things. The fans have asked questions about his decision to fight Berlanga, but he looks to cash in on the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry to make the event successful. Will his plan be successful?

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BOXING

“Get Some Advise From Charlo”: Oleksandr Usyk Ruffles Feathers With Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez Prediction

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez Oleksandr Usyk

Every boxing fan wants to see ‘the’ fight. Two of sport’s biggest names, Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez, in a momentous clash.

Talks about a potential fight have been going on for some time now. Even His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has expressed a keen interest on the much-sought-after match-up. Thoughts and discussions apart, social media is already abuzz with ‘the outcome’ game. Who will win? Or, who has a better chance of winning?

Oleksandr Usyk is preparing for the rematch with Tyson Fury. Days following his epic win over the Mancunian saw him vacate the IBF title, thus making his undisputed championship one of the shortest in boxing history. Like many, Usyk too found himself in a corner boxed by a poser on the Crawford-Alvarez puzzle. The P4P number-one boxer, however, knew the answer. Ever since it reached the ears of the fans, discussion on the subject has become more rigorous.

Oleksandr Usyk Has No Doubt Who Wins Canelo-Crawford Fight: "He's Different" - Seconds Out

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Oleksandr Usyk was a guest on the ‘3 Knockdown Rule’ podcast. As the show neared its end, host Mario Lopez finally asked, “What about there? There’s talk. It’s not official, of course, but there’s talk of a potential fight between Canelo and Terrence Crawford. How do you see that fight?”

“I like Terence,” responded the champion. Usyk revealed that ‘Bud’ happens to be his friend. But when the push comes to shove, Terence Crawford will win. “Terence, it’s different, man. Terence works in two, two, two sides, two sides, right and left, but it’s very smart, man. It’s very, very smart, but feel the distance and the place.”

From the time he became boxing’s first male two-division undisputed champion, Terence Crawford made it clear what he wanted next. Aside from Alvarez, his list included Jermell Charlo. It underwent alteration following the ‘Iron Man’ suffering a defeat from the Mexican icon. However, concerns over the sheer weight gap always raised alarm and concern across the board.

Clearly, there was no unanimity among fans over a clear winner. To some, the super middleweight champion would remain unscathed. But then a few believe the Nebraskan southpaw has the wherewithal to usurp the throne. Let’s check what a few others had to say about the ambitious lineup.

Given Oleksandr Usyk’s winning streak, this fan believes that on the Crawford-Alvarez question, the Ukrainian champion might face an aberration. According to them, Canelo Alvarez’s physical attributes give him a significant advantage. Hence, it might as well be a one-sided fight, where he might dominate ‘Bud’ Crawford.

Commonwealth Games gold medalist and former professional boxer Anthony Fowler also seems to favor Canelo Alvarez for the win. Reinforcing the belief that weight classes often play a crucial role in determining outcomes in boxing, he insisted that Alvarez’s prowess at 168 pounds makes him a clear favorite.

Given how Yuriorkis Gamboa shook him up in their 2014 fight, this fan also lacks confidence in whether ‘Bud’ Crawford can withstand the shots from the hard-hitting Alvarez. Perhaps taking a dig, they suggested that the Nebraskan might as well check with Jermell Charlo beforehand to see how Alvarez’s punches felt. Underscoring the Mexican icon’s prowess in the ring, they predicted the likelihood of the match ending in the sixth round—in Alvarez’s favor.

However, this fan finds himself siding with Usyk. expressing their preference for Crawford over Alvarez in the hypothetical matchup, they believe that ‘Bud’s superior skills in movement, reflexes, and hand to understand punching power might enable him to dominate the fight. conceding that Alvarez has too much of a granite chin to be knocked out; however, they espoused that Crawford would barely give a quarter.

Then this user felt that maybe Terence Crawford should note down a few items from Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s playbook if he wants to defeat Canelo Alvarez. The former world champion’s method, where he overpowered the Mexican boxer with his sheer technical skills, gives ‘Bud’ the best chance of scoring a ‘W’.

It should now be understandable how debatable the matchup is. On his part, Terence Crawford, after a year-long break, will enter the ring on August 3 to mark his debut in the light middleweight division. So instead of three, he is now short of the super middleweight division by two weight classes.

In September, Canelo Alvarez will also face his year’s second opponent. He is no longer an undisputed champion. so he will have to defend his remaining unified titles from Edgar Berlanga on the weekend before Mexican Independence Day. So may be after that, by this year-end or first quarter next year, will the fight with Terence Crawford eventually make through?

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BOXING

Can Terence Crawford Beat Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez in Their Prime?

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Terence Crawford Floyd Mayweather Jr. Canelo Alvarez

When you find yourself at the pinnacle of modern boxing, you invariably draw parallels with the greats of the last generation.

It’s the position that Terence Crawford finds himself in at the moment. Doubts, applause, criticism, and shunned comments follow in a heated debate. Has he taken on the tag of the best modern welterweight since Floyd Mayweather Jr. left the scene? Has he what it takes to triumph over the face of boxing, Canelo Alvarez, a fight he desperately chases? These are the questions that cloud a boxing fan’s imagination.

These have plagued the fans’ minds ever since the Omaha native dismantled Errol Spence Jr. with ease last year and cemented his legacy as an undisputed champion in two different weight classes. Interestingly, ‘Money’ Mayweather was just hanging his gloves up when Crawford moved up to the division. Had he delayed his retirement a year later, the fans might have witnessed the two clash. But would ‘Bud’ have taken Mayweather Jr. down? It first depends on which version of Mayweather Jr. we are pitting him against.

Terence Crawford Eyeing Canelo Alvarez Fight Exposes Floyd Mayweather's Failure to Be All-Time Great, Explains Boxing Commentator - EssentiallySports

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You could dissect Mayweather Jr.’s career into two halves, the first when he brought aggression and fight into the ring. And the second, when he racked up fame and tightened up his defense, fighting primarily on his back foot, rolling his shoulders, and content with collecting decision wins with relative ease. It was about his undefeated record, after all. The Michigan native had a solid, tight defense, which would have run counter to Crawford’s power and quick pair of hands. It would have been a classic bout, a style showdown.

Let’s talk about their size and skills first. You look at Crawford, 36, and you see why he would rip apart Mayweather Jr. with his taller frame, reach, and size advantage. At least on the paper. However, his hypothetical opponent has been elusive, honing his defensive skills to a near-perfect level. While Crawford bags the size and reach advantage with the ability to impose his will on the smaller but smarter rival, Mayweather Jr. has the better skillset to hit and not get hit, even against towering foes. That’s the mantra that stood up whenever ‘Money’ Mayweather fought inside the ring.

Mayweather Jr. tended to feel the fight initially and then pick apart anyone who stood across from him as the rounds progressed. But what if the 50-0 record holder’s stamina fizzles out in the middle rounds? Could he evade 10 or 12 rounds against the boxer, who is relentless, and packs a power, especially at close quarters? Whichever side you pick, either a hungry fighter with power, quick footwork, and a swift pair of hands, or a boxer with impenetrable defensive skills, you would leave home watching the two world-class fighters go for the kill.

Will you let your recency bias clog your judgment, or will you put your faith in a boxer who has the experience and has done it against fighters of all sizes and styles? If the Omaha native produced a flawless night, where he could hit and tear down Mayweather Jr., you could see him taking the win home. But is it happening? Mayweather Jr. wouldn’t let it happen, would he?

What separates Crawford, at 40-0, from the crop of modern fighters? It’s his explosive yet unpredictable style, where he manages to switch up stances from southpaw to orthodox or from orthodox to southpaw, the minute he senses his opponent has him figured out. You throw into the mix his impeccable defense and a high ring IQ, you have a fighter you will find it hard to deal with in the ring. What bugs his competitors the most is his ability to mold himself and adapt according to whatever his rivals are throwing. So, where does Canelo Alvarez find himself?

The Mexican champion has the skills, experience, and ability to land clean shots. You can sense a running theme here, don’t you? But you need to be careful with him in the ring, as he also had knockout power with his combinations before his hand injury slowed him down a bit. You could sit and heap praise on his ring generalship and his unusual skill of breaking down opponents with his devastating body shots. It’s something that Crawford has found troubling in his fights. In addition, the latter’s most effective weapon, his counters, runs the risk of getting negated because of the 34-year-old champion’s ring generalship. And when you take into consideration the prime Canelo Alvarez, the champion who was devouring the top-ranked fighters, you face an uphill battle.

Many continue to argue that Mayweather Jr. wouldn’t have beaten the 61-2-2 record holder if he were not young. Does Crawford stand a chance against the prime Alvarez? When you factor in the disparity in weight categories, Alvarez’s size, strength, and excellent conditioning, and more importantly, the super middleweight champion being the kryptonite to Crawford’s style, the task seems somewhere on the impossible side. Will Crawford’s aggression, speed, and unpredictable boxing style have been enough to tackle Alvarez’s technical style with splendid counterpunching and brilliant head movement? The odds might be very low. But stranger things have happened in boxing.

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BOXING

“Hope You Learned Your Lesson”- Terence Crawford Sends a Message to Austin Theory After Knocking Him Out on WWE SmackDown

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Terence Crawford Austin Theory WWE SmackDown

Whether it’s on the silver screen, teaching Michael B. Jordan the art of throwing a real punch in Creed III, or swaying the fans with his theatrics inside the ropes of the WWE ring, Terence Crawford never fails to make an everlasting impression.

He once again seized headlines in the combat sports world with his brutal knockout power, but this time, on the receiving end, was Austin Theory. This week’s WWE SmackDown had ‘Bud’ standing tall on the fallen body of the WWE star, after delivering a deadly one-punch blow. It seems that’s not the end.

The American boxer was in the audience at WWE SmackDown last week, as the WWE show made its way to Omaha, his native place. As a huge WWE fan, for Crawford, 36, the event unfolded drastically when he handed Cody Rhodes a steel chair and ended up helping the latter pull a win against ‘A-Town Down Under’. This week, it was time to answer for his deeds, and the welterweight champion exactly did that. But with his right fist. What’s more?

Professional Boxer Terence Crawford Knocks Out Austin Theory on WWE SmackDown

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The WWE uploaded the video of Crawford knocking out Austin Theory on its Instagram handle, and the 40-0 record holder turned to the comment section and left a message. The comment read, “all know how I get down hope you learned your lesson @austin_theory.”

Interestingly, in the same comment section, Grayson Waller hilariously lauded Austin Theory for taking a punch, first from Tyson Fury and now Crawford. For fans, Crawford’s appearances at WWE events sparked a debate about whether the Omaha native was gearing up for his WWE debut, following in the footsteps of Floyd Mayweather Jr., who once featured on WrestleMania 24.

Crawford is currently not sure whether he is up for the task. In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, he disclosed, “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten into it that far.” Talking about his experience attending the WWE event, the southpaw boxer added, “The experience was second to none. It was electrifying. I was nervous doing it. It was different. It was dope and a good feeling. Not only was it my hometown, but it was WWE, a big platform.”

What has seemed to affect Crawford’s call is the high risk of injuries in the WWE. In addition, he has an upcoming fight against Israil Madrimov for the WBA super welterweight title. This is to move up the divisions, cement his legacy, and maybe do enough to attract the attention of Canelo Alvarez. However, he hasn’t denied venturing into WWE after he is done with boxing.

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