‘Complete joke’… Fans trashed Canelo Alvarez becoming a first of his kind champion in highly controversial move
Canelo Alvarez has one of the most impressive trophy cabinets of any professional fighter.
Through his career, Alvarez has accumulated a lot of belts, and some strange gifts for good measure.
His next outing on September 13 will see him put his undisputed super middleweight championship on the line against Terence Crawford in a true super fight.
Alvarez may have turned the Crawford fight down at first but we are now just days away from a matchup that fans have been dreaming about for years.
However, giving people exactly what they want hasn’t always been a consistent theme of the Mexican star’s career.
Fans slammed Canelo Alvarez being named as the WBC’s first ‘Franchise Champion’
Like most legendary boxers, Canelo Alvarez has some controversial aspects in his career that go hand-in-hand with his greatest successes.
The most notable one being the drug tests that Alvarez has failed in the past, which remains a cloud over his career to this day.
There is one moment in his career that was heavily scrutinized despite him not having any input.
In 2019, the WBC introduced a new kind of title, the ‘Franchise Championship’, which Alvarez was the first recipient of.
The honorary title was supposed to be a prestigious award that was given to the best of the best which would require them to vacate their WBC world title to hold this higher accolade.
The Franchise Championship meant that fighters like Alvarez could compete in multiple divisions in big fights without having to face mandatory challengers.
Suffice to say that a lot of fans, sharing their reaction in a Reddit thread from the time, were not happy with the way Alvarez’s career was being handled or the need to create any more belts and make things more confusing.
‘I wish I could root for Canelo. He’s so talented, yet favored by judges and so carefully handled.’
‘This is some WWE level non-sense.’
‘Complete joke.’
‘What a s— show, I think this proves just how much money talks in boxing.’
‘For f— sake. This is the kind of s— that turns people away from the sport.’
‘As a rule, WBC makes a new belt for every Canelo’s sparring session I heard.’
‘This is the worst thing I’ve ever read, what is the point in all this bulls— in boxing… Who the hell thinks this is a good idea!’
Four other fighters were named as Franchise Champions after Canelo Alvarez
Canelo Alvarez was the first WBC Franchise Champion but the backlash that this move received didn’t put the governing body off handing out more of these titles.
It quickly turned out that Alvarez was just the start of the process, with the WBC deciding to crown several more champions over the next few years.
‘He’ll finish you with a sledgehammer’: What it’s really like to get punched by Anthony Joshua
There’s a comparison of hitting something with a sledgehammer, or hitting something with a normal hammer a lot of times – you know, like when you hit a nail,” Frazer Clarke says.
So, which comparison applies to getting punched by Anthony Joshua? Well, both, it turns out.
“[The latter] is what it is with Joshua, then he’ll finish you off with a sledgehammer on the last shot,” Clarke tells The Independent. “Boom!”
Clarke knows what he is talking about, not just as an experienced boxer – unbeaten so far in his professional career – but as one who has first-hand experience of Joshua’s punching power. Clarke, 31, spent years training with “AJ” and followed his fellow Briton’s Olympic triumph at London 2012 with a medal of his own at Tokyo 2020.
“To be fair, this is probably the longest time in my boxing career that I’ve not been hit by Anthony Joshua,” the bronze medalist says. “I think the main reasons are that he boxed a southpaw [Oleksandr Usyk] over a period of about two years, and before that, he boxed Andy Ruiz Jr, whose dimensions were different, then there was Kubrat Pulev [while] I was preparing for the Olympics. So, it’s been a while.”
Still, it is not a sensation that slips from the memory.
“It’s not nice,” Clarke says unironically. “It’s not nice being hit by any heavyweight, but…”
But there is a misconception about Joshua, according to Clarke.
“You only have to look at Anthony Joshua, the man is made of muscle – he has muscles coming out of places where muscles shouldn’t be – but when people think about Joshua punching, what they don’t realise is… it’s not the one punch. He’s actually a really good combination puncher, and a fast puncher.
“When he gets the opportunity, he punches hard and often, and that’s almost worse than one single shot. You can prepare for a single shot – you can sort of brace on impact – but what you can’t prepare for is two, three, four shots from different angles.”
Indeed, watching all 22 knockouts from Joshua’s 25 professional wins confirms Clarke’s point. Joshua, 33, has often been criticised for a perceived lack of ring IQ and versatility, but when the former two-time heavyweight champion begins nudging that nail, he does so with speed and from all angles, before hauling out the sledgehammer.
Hector Alfredo Avila was admittedly toppled by a lone left hook in 2014. Charles Martin, similarly, was sent sprawling into a dimension with which he was entirely unfamiliar, courtesy of a piston right cross in 2016; the only set-up on that occasion was a feinted hook. With his most recent KO, in 2021, Joshua put down Kubrat Pulev for good with a sharp right straight.
That knockout of Pulev, however, only arrived after Joshua had dropped the veteran numerous times with a variety of punches in a series of combinations. Furthermore, every other finish was crafted with shots from both wings, often aimed not only to crack the cranium but also to brutalise the body. Even Joshua’s signature knockout of Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 was a result of AJ swarming the Ukrainian against the ropes, rather than the legend being finished by that famous uppercut – which actually came moments before the stoppage.
In any case, Joshua’s vaunted power may not even be his greatest asset.
“He’s the hardest worker in the room, the most determined person in the room,” Clarke says. “To train with him is a pleasure. But also, what I’ve taken from him the most over the last few years is: my goal is to lead a camp like him, from the nutrition to the resting… We all want to be at a level where we can have our own chef, [for example], and I think he’s really honed in on investing in himself.”
With the help of a personal chef and nutrition team, Joshua operates as professionally as any boxer, with his well-crafted heavyweight frame also requiring 5,000 calories a day, as he revealed before fighting Alexander Povetkin, and a lack of cheese, gluten and white rice. “The first thing I do in the morning is drink a litre of water; that helps me get my metabolism going,” Joshua told GQ at the time. “I’ll have some fruit, so it’s not too heavy for my stomach. I’ll then have a proper breakfast, which is what most people have for lunch because I’m eating at around 11am – rice, chicken, vegetables and sweet potatoes. Sometimes, I’ll switch it up, and have pork instead.
“If I want a snack, it’ll be either yoghurt and honey or meringues. By dinner, I’ll have completed all of my main training sessions, so I’ll have red meat or fish: steak or salmon with pasta, whole grain rice or quinoa, and vegetables. I do allow myself to indulge every once in a while, even when I’m training. I’m lucky enough to have a trainer who prepares homemade protein bars and protein shakes for me. I may also have something like a mousse or a yoghurt.”
That level of precision and dedication, as Clarke notes, is “what you need to do to get the best out of yourself, especially at world level”.
For Clarke, getting the best out of himself also involved taking the worst punishment that Joshua could offer.
How Canelo moved away from traditional Mexican style ahead of Terence Crawford super-fight
Canelo Alvarez is a proud Mexican and is one of the country’s most successful fighters of all time – who returns on September 13 to take on Terence Crawford in an era-defining fight for the undisputed super middleweight titles.
Mexican fighters carry a proud tradition of being no-nonsense, all-action fighters who can go toe-to-toe with anyone that is put in front of them.
Alvarez is one of these men, but as we have seen him grow and develop in nearly 70 professional fights, he has also developed his own unique style that has seen him pull away from the traditional Mexican way of fighting.
He learns from every opponent he faces, and it is clear to see as you track the chronology of his career that important fights like his loss to Floyd Mayweather, his war with Miguel Cotto and his fights with Gennady Golovkin have all played an important role in shaping the Canelo we see today.
So, how exactly has Canelo adapted through adversity to become an all-time great?
Defensive nuance
Canelo has always been a defensively savvy fighter, able to make his opponents miss and then make them pay. But a turning point that seemed to put Canelo on another level was when he was outclassed by a veteran Floyd Mayweather Jr across 12 rounds.
Mayweather showed Canelo a different level of defensive mastery – making micro adjustments with his head and feet to create a hair’s breadth of space to keep him close enough to counter with precision.
Canelo had previously done as many fighters do and stayed in almost constant motion to never present a static target your opponent can gamble on, but what he learned from Mayweather is that you only need to move when it’s an absolute necessity, which allows for more energy down the stretch in a fight.
Two fights that are great examples of when this defensive adaptation came to the fore are his first fight with Gennady Golovkin in 2017 and when he faced Daniel Jacobs in 2019.
Canelo was the much faster and more explosive fighter against Golovkin and used this to his advantage. He would, while exchanging in the middle of the ring, lean back after he threw his punches to narrowly avoid the counter left hooks of Golovkin. When on the back foot, he would pivot away to his left and turn his head away, making the right hands of Golovkin miss by mere millimetres, and would never move unless something was coming his way.
Against Jacobs, it was a superb example of being able to download your opponent’s patterns early in a fight and see everything coming your way.
He knew that he had to stay close to Jacobs, who had the height and reach advantage, and he did this with elegant and otherworldly movement – able to make Jacobs miss with 17 shots in a row at one point and counter with heavy jabs and hooks.
This allowed him to walk Jacobs down, even though he was throwing far fewer punches, almost the opposite of a traditional Mexican fighter who looks to pour on pressure with high volume and less head movement.
Low-volume pressure fighting
After the Jacobs fight, Canelo opted to move up to light-heavyweight, an unprecedented decision for a man who was previously considered an undersized middleweight.
Sergey Kovalev was perhaps over the hill at this point, but was still an incredibly dangerous fighter, world champion and much larger than Alvarez.
Canelo, therefore, was forced to evolve once again to allow himself to get close and land his power shots on Kovalev.
To achieve this, Canelo relied heavily on a strong high guard, absorbing most of the shots Kovalev would throw and then exploding on the counter.
His head movement was still present, but he knew it was more risky to try and evade the shots from the bigger man because if he got caught, he would be in a compromised position and would risk getting knocked out.
Canelo shocked many by walking Kovalev down and countering his jabs with left hooks and overhand rights to great effect. He knew his opportunity would come when Kovalev would run out of steam due to unloading ineffective punches onto his gloves.
This was one of the most notable changes Canelo has made in the second half of his career, using the threat of his heavy counter punches to muzzle his opponents whilst staying in range all the time rather than trying to use his head movement to get close.
Between the second Golovkin fight, where we saw Canelo utilise a high volume style as we had seen for so many years against the likes of Shane Mosley and Alfredo Angulo, he threw almost half the amount of punches but landed a higher percentage.
Trap-setting
Canelo has become a master of not waiting for opportunities but creating them for himself using intelligence and educated pressure to force opponents to leave gaps in their defence for him to capitalise on.
This is not to say that Mexican fighters do not set traps, just that Alvarez does it in a unique way that is supremely effective and with more variety.
A perfect example of this is from slightly earlier in his career against Amir Khan.
Against Khan, Canelo came up against a man with extremely fast hands and feet. He knew he needed to catch Khan flat-footed to be able to put him down.
He did this by setting up the iconic overhand right that was the 2016 knockout of the year.
Throughout the early going of the fight, Canelo would mix his lead left hooks to head and body to create uncertainty in Khan, who was very reactive to Canelo’s feints.
Alvarez then proceeded to target the body, dropping his level by bending his legs to throw a jab or backhand to the body, which an intelligent fighter like Khan would pick up on and make adjustments to on the fly.
But the Mexican knew just what Khan would do. The Brit dropped his hands from his guard and attempted to pull back or pivot away from the body shots, which were perfectly set up.
Then in the sixth round, Canelo launched his attack, dropping his level, which stalled Khan’s feet and dropped his hands, opening up the head up to attack, and Canelo obliged by detonating an overhand and flattening Khan.
This exercise in patience, knowing he was dropping some of the early rounds, is something that other, more traditional fighters would not do and would generally opt to hunt down Khan as he tried to evade them, but Canelo brought Khan to him.
I typically try not to use column space to pick on fellow writers, so I hope this will be regarded merely as a professional critique and in no way a personal attack.
But in reading an article on ESPN.com’s boxing page Monday morning, my brow went full furrow over an opinion I read.
As the build to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Terence “Bud” Crawford gathers steam, Nick Parkinson wrote about various defining fights and moments for both men, assorted “bests” and “mosts” in their careers. And the article started with “best performance.”
For Crawford, the selection was his ninth-round stoppage of Errol Spence Jnr, the only fight any level-headed observer could select for that distinction. It was, by far, Crawford’s finest hour — a truly dominant victory over undoubtedly the best opponent he’d ever faced.
For Alvarez, the selection was his 2022 win over Gennady Golovkin in their third fight.
In a word: no.
Golovkin was 40 years old, about four years past the end of his prime, and the 32-year-old Canelo was supposed to thump him and cap their trilogy with the first emphatic win either had scored over the other. Instead Alvarez produced a flat, uninspired performance, and won by just two points on two cards against an opponent who was all but retired.
It wasn’t Canelo’s best performance or defining triumph. It shouldn’t even be listed in the top 10 for those superlatives.
But, hey, opinions vary, and I’m not here to pick a fight with Parkinson. Rather, I’ll gladly thank him for inspiring a column idea. Because he got me thinking: Whereas Crawford has an obvious best win, Canelo, after a 20-year pro career featuring 67 fights in six weight classes, 27 of them “world” title fights across four divisions, doesn’t have that one indisputably great win.
Alvarez has an overabundance of very good wins, enough to eventually make him an easy first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, but he doesn’t have that singular night where he defeated a prime, elite foe cleanly and clearly without some sort of asterisk attached.
In short, Parkinson got me wondering: If it’s not his third fight with Golovkin — and clearly it is not — what the heck is Canelo’s greatest win?
Here are, in chronological order, what I consider the top five candidates, and for each I’ll state the case for and the case against.
W 12 Miguel Cotto, Nov. 21, 2015
The case for: Alvarez mixed tactical boxing and power-punching aggression effectively enough to claim the lineal middleweight championship of the world against a future Hall of Famer. On paper, that’s a phenomenal victory. Even though most observers didn’t think it was as lopsided as the stereotypically Canelo-friendly scores (117-111, 118-110 and 119-109) would have you believe, there was no dispute over who won.
The case against: Cotto was never a full-sized middleweight, as indicated by the agreement to put the title on the line at a catchweight of 155 pounds (and by the defending champ officially scaling 153.5). And the Puerto Rican was, in retrospect, well past his best. He’d recently turned 35, and he would only score one more victory in his career, over made-to-order Yoshihiro Kamegai. And Canelo didn’t stop Cotto — never came close, really. This performance was highly efficient but never spectacular, and you’d hope an all-time great fighter would have something better than that on his resume.
W 12 Gennady Golovkin, September 15, 2018
The case for: Even at age 36, this version of “GGG” was almost certainly the best fighter Alvarez ever defeated. It was a highly entertaining fight — arguably 2018’s Fight of the Year and the best action scrap of their trilogy — and Alvarez really looked like he’d gone up a level compared to their first fight, a year earlier. (Well, at least for the first nine rounds, he did … )
The case against: Can a fight in which your older opponent rallies to arguably sweep the last three rounds, leaving the scorecards in doubt once again and opinions fairly well split down the middle over who deserved to win, really be a future Hall of Famer’s showcase performance? Alvarez painted three-quarters of a masterpiece in the Golovkin rematch, then left it unfinished. And as much as Alvarez proved he was no fraud in those first two Golovkin fights, plenty of people feel he deserved to go 0-2.
KO 11 Sergey Kovalev, November 2, 2019
The case for: Alvarez moved up two divisions from where he’d previously fought to face a full-fledged light heavyweight — and not just any light heavyweight, but one of the scariest pound-for-pound punchers of the era. And Canelo came through with arguably the most impressive knockout of his career, dramatically hurting, dropping and stopping “The Krusher” in the 11th round while trailing narrowly on two scorecards.
The case against: Kovalev wasn’t way past his prime, but he was at least a couple of years over that line, at age 36 against the truly prime 29-year-old Canelo. And the Russian had been stopped twice already, including just 15 months earlier by Eleider Alvarez. He was a once-fearsome fighter who had become, if not quite fragile, at least vulnerable. It would be unfair to refer to Alvarez selecting Kovalev for his light heavyweight debut as “cherry-picking,” but it’s worth noting that, two weeks earlier, Artur Beterbiev stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the lineal title.
KO 8 Billy Joe Saunders, May 8, 2021
The case for: Saunders was undefeated and more or less in his prime at age 31, and in front of a crowd of more than 73,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas, Canelo broke his orbital bone with an uppercut and made the Brit’s corner surrender. And at the press conference after the fight, Alvarez added to his legacy with an all-time great, F-bomb laden dismissal of a mouthy Demetrius Andrade.
The case against: Is anyone going to remember who Saunders was a generation from now? He was a tricky southpaw who’d beaten some good fighters, like David Lemieux, Martin Murray, Andy Lee and Chris Eubank Jnr, but everyone knew he was taking a massive leap in quality against Canelo. And even though Alvarez got the TKO, the ending was an anticlimax to a fight where neither man ever fully got going.
KO 11 Caleb Plant, November 6, 2021
The case for: One fight after stopping Saunders, Canelo checked off most of the same boxes against Plant. Undefeated opponent? Check. Slick, clever style? Check. A big underdog against Alvarez? Check. Whereas Saunders never fought again, Plant has continued on but has gone 2-2, so, it’s hard to say who had the better post-Canelo path. But Alvarez deserves credit for stopping them both, especially for the body shots that cemented Plant’s demise.
The case against: Again, a lot of Saunders redux, as Plant will be remembered as a good, solid super middleweight who was a little out of his depth against the elite fighters of his time. There’s nothing to knock in Alvarez’s performance, but … could a man who served as the face of boxing for roughly a decade really retire with his most exceptional win coming against a relative also-ran like Plant?
There are plenty of other fights to consider on Alvarez’s record, but they each come with a big “yeah, but.”
Erislandy Lara? Highly debatable decision. Austin Trout? Moderately debatable decision. Amir Khan? Way too small. Shane Mosley? Way too old. James Kirkland? Way too limited.
So we’re left with a counterintuitive but very real scenario for September 13.
Crawford, the smaller man and the underdog, can defeat Alvarez and possibly have it not go down as his greatest win because the Spence evisceration was so perfect.
And Alvarez, the bigger man and the favorite, has an outside chance at doing something in the ring at Allegiant Stadium that ends up looked back on as his victory that stands out above all his others — because the competition for that honor is all so flawed.
Gervonta Davis Shares Cryptic Mental Health Message Before Jake Paul Fight
The behavior and messages that Gervonta “Tank” Davis displayed in the lead-up to his March 1 fight against Lamont Roach Jr. raised eyebrows among the boxing community.
The most notable thing Tank said was that he intended to retire from boxing at some point in 2025 during one of his press conferences with Roach in December 2024. His reasoning for this was that he was fed up with the sport of boxing and was too embroiled in issues outside of the ring to rekindle the love he once had for the sweet science.
Most were able to brush these comments off as Tank being in a strange headspace before the fight. However, the fact that he produced the worst performance of his professional career against Roach (which resulted in a majority draw) and made several questionable decisions inside the ring (which should have made it so Tank lost) brought these comments from Gervonta back to mind after the bout ended.
In fact, women’s pound-for-pound great Claressa Shields made a strong claim about Davis’ mental health after this fight, saying, “I feel like Gervonta is a hell of a fighter, but I feel like he needs to get his mental together. When I hear some of his interviews, and I see some of the stuff that he’s saying, I can just tell that he’s not in love with the sport no more.
“I think he would be better, and even a better fighter, if he went and did therapy, like ASAP. Because I can tell he’s a little sad, little depressed… I think therapy would help [Davis],” she added.
Gervonta Davis Addresses Mental Health Before Jake Paul Fight
It’s clear that Davis has no plans of retiring in 2025 right now, because news broke last month that he agreed to fight against Jake Paul, which will take place on November 14, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia (so long as the Georgia commission approves it).
And if one were to take a September 3 X post from Davis to heart, it seems that he’s in a better mental space than he was before his most recent fight.
Davis’ X post wrote, “Good thing I’m in a better head space, only way you’ll get to me if I allow you to..ya get me! 😉”.
Good thing I’m in a better head space, only way you’ll get to me if I allow you to..ya get me! 😉
Tank’s fans are hoping that this isn’t just hearsay from their favorite boxer, and that he’s actually firing on all cylinders mentally before fighting Paul.
And given how much he’s surely making for this fight, it’s not hard to imagine that he’d be in a good mood right now.
Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson to fight each other in blockbuster 2026 showdown… and both have ALREADY signed contracts
Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather, two of boxing’s most legendary names, are set to face off against each other in 2026 in a blockbuster exhibition fight.
Both iconic fighters are long retired from the sport but will pull on the gloves once again for a spring showdown, and contracts are already signed, per TMZ.
Tyson, 59, sparked serious health concerns when he returned to the ring last year for an exhibition against Jake Paul, and a match-up against an opponent like Mayweather is set to further increase that.
Though Mayweather himself is 48 – and will be 49 by the time he steps back in the ring – he holds a 50-0 professional record and is still in incredible shape.
The match between two of the sport’s most legendary figures will be put on by CSI Sports and Fight Sports, and an exact date and location are yet to be decided.
When Tyson last fought – a loss against YouTube sensation Paul – it took place live on Netflix at the Dallas Cowboys‘ AT&T Stadium.
In a statement released to TMZ, Tyson said of the announcement: ‘This fight is something neither the world nor I ever thought would or could happen.
‘However, boxing has entered a new era of the unpredictable – and this fight is as unpredictable as it gets.
‘I still can’t believe Floyd wants to really do this. It’s going to be detrimental to his health, but he wants to do it, so it’s signed and it’s happening!’
Mayweather also responded to the news, claiming: ‘I’ve been doing this for 30 years and there hasn’t been a single fighter that can tarnish my legacy.
‘You already know that if I am going to do something, it’s going to be big and it’s going to be legendary. I’m the best in the business of boxing. This exhibition will give the fans what they want.’
Mayweather last fought professionally in 2017 against Conor McGregor in one of the most-watched fights in history, though he has stepped back into the ring multiple times since.
His last fight was a second exhibition against John Gotti III in August 2024 in Mexico City.
A remarkable 108 million people tuned in on Netflix to Tyson’s fight with Paul last year, and early indications are that this showdown between two of boxing’s biggest legends could draw even more excitement.
It’s Not Rumour Any More Ryan Sparks Controversy With Brutal 1-Word Take on Gervonta Davis Knocking Out Jake Paul
Ryan Garcia has shared his thoughts on the controversial match-up between former rival Gervonta Davis and Jake Paul.
Reigning WBA lightweight champion Davis is set to face Paul on Friday November 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, with the event broadcast live on Netflix.
‘Tank’ had originally been in line to face Lamont Roach Jr in a rematch next after their first meeting back in March ended in a stalemate, although these plans were eventually shelved after Davis instead opted to face Paul.
One man that has shared the ring with ‘Tank’ in recent years is former WBC interim lightweight champion Garcia, who was stopped in the seventh round of his clash with his fellow countryman when they met at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas back in April 2023.
Speaking in a social media post, ‘King Ry’ didn’t hesitate to express his concerns at Davis locking horns with Paul next, as he claims his former rival is ‘crazy’ to suggest he could trouble the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
“Gervonta is 5’4” and last weighed in at 133, you’d be crazy to think he can do anything to Jake.”
Paul made his return to the ring back in June, defeating Mexico’s former WBC world middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr via unanimous decision at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
‘The Problem Child’ weighed in at just shy of 200lbs ahead of his cruiserweight clash with Chavez on June 28, over 60 pounds heavier than what Davis weighed in at ahead of his WBA world title defence against Roach earlier this year.
On September 13, History Won’t Just Be Written,It Will Be Fought For: Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Álvarez
Terence Crawford: On September 13, the boxing world will witness a night destined to echo through the ages. Two of the sport’s most dominant forces, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford, will step into the ring under the lights of Las Vegas, not just to defend belts or reputations, but to carve their names into the deepest chapters of boxing history.
This isn’t just another championship fight—it’s a collision of eras, styles, and legacies. It’s a night where history won’t be written on paper, but fought with fists, grit, and heart.
A Clash of Pound-for-Pound Legends
For years, debates have raged in barbershops, gyms, and sports studios: Who is truly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? On September 13, fans may finally get their answer.
Canelo Álvarez enters as the undisputed super middleweight champion, holding the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF belts. Known as Mexico’s greatest active warrior, Canelo has faced and conquered names like Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, and Sergey Kovalev. His blend of brutal power, slick defense, and relentless body shots make him one of the sport’s deadliest technicians.
Terence Crawford, on the other hand, is the definition of “unbeaten excellence.” Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford carries a pristine record, dismantling every opponent put in front of him. After dominating at lightweight and junior welterweight, he cemented his legend by becoming undisputed welterweight champion, with his masterful destruction of Errol Spence Jr. proving he is a generational talent.
Now, the two collide at 168 pounds, in what many already call the biggest fight in modern boxing history.
The Stage: Las Vegas, Netflix, and Mexico’s Pride
The fight will unfold at the Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders—a modern coliseum built for nights like this. For the first time, a fight of this magnitude will stream on Netflix, ensuring millions worldwide can tune in live to watch history unfold.
Canelo will also have timing on his side. Fighting on the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day, he will carry the roar of an entire nation in his corner. As tradition dictates, when Canelo fights in September, it becomes more than a sporting event—it becomes a patriotic spectacle.
The War of Words
Critics have questioned whether Canelo remains the absolute king of his division, pointing out past struggles against slicker fighters. But the Mexican champion has dismissed all doubts with fire in his voice:
“I don’t give a damn. I know I’m the best. To have a great fight, it takes two fighters—and September 13, you’ll see.”
Crawford, calm but lethal in tone, has made his intentions clear: he isn’t coming just to fight—he’s coming to conquer. For him, moving up to face Canelo isn’t a gamble; it’s destiny.
More Than Belts: The Tlaxcala II Commemorative Belt
Adding to the drama, the Tlaxcala II Commemorative Belt will also be on the line. Handcrafted by Mexican artisans, it was unveiled by WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán as a cultural gift to the sport. While gold and glory will dominate the headlines, this belt represents something deeper—Mexico’s pride, artistry, and unshakable connection to boxing.
Why This Fight Is Different
Boxing has seen many superfights—Ali vs. Frazier, Leonard vs. Hearns, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. But Canelo vs. Crawford feels different.
It’s not just champion vs. champion. It’s the most successful fighter of this era versus the most dangerous technician alive today. It’s a battle of power against precision, of size against skill, of one legend trying to defend his throne while another seeks to snatch it in a blaze of glory.
What’s at Stake
For Canelo, victory would silence critics and cement him as the undisputed face of modern boxing. For Crawford, a win would be seismic—moving up two divisions to topple Mexico’s greatest champion would etch his name alongside the immortals.
Defeat, for either man, would not just be a loss—it would be a wound to their legacy.
The Final Bell
On September 13, when the arena darkens and the lights shine on two warriors walking toward destiny, the world will know: this is more than a fight—it is a defining moment for boxing.
As gloves are touched and the first bell rings, history won’t just be recorded in the pages of a book—it will be written with blood, sweat, and courage inside the squared circle.
Canelo vs. Crawford isn’t a fight to watch. It’s a fight to remember.
9 days To Go Canelo Alvarez Fires “A Real War Needs Two Willing Warriors”: Canelo Alvarez Fires Warning at Terence Crawford
The pride of Guadalajara, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, has set the stage for what he swears will be the biggest fight in boxing history when he collides with Terence “Bud” Crawford on September 13.
The two pound-for-pound kings will clash for the undisputed super middleweight crown at 168 pounds (76.2 kg), inside the Las Vegas Raiders’ fortress, in a spectacle that will stream live on Netflix in the U.S. Canelo enters the ring holding all the gold—the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles—and vows that this showdown will eclipse anything the sport has ever seen.
Speaking to Central Fox, the Mexican superstar didn’t mince words:
“This will be the biggest fight ever… everyone will be watching.” Fighting on the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day, he’ll have the power of an entire nation behind him.
Still, critics insist he isn’t the true king at super middleweight. Canelo’s response was fiery: “I don’t give a damn. I know I’m the best… and that’s it. To have a great fight, it takes both fighters.”
Adding to the stakes, the fighters will also battle for the Tlaxcala II Commemorative Belt, a handcrafted masterpiece unveiled by WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán. Billed as Mexico’s gift to the boxing world, the belt symbolizes just how monumental this night will be—Canelo’s grand return to Las Vegas against an undefeated rival who many see as untouchable.
On September 13, history won’t just be written—it will be fought for.
I masterminded Dmitry Bivol’s win over Canelo Alvarez – Terence Crawford stands no chance
There are few better placed to cast their verdict on Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford’s upcoming clash than Joel Diaz.
The esteemed trainer masterminded Dmitry Bivol’s dominant unanimous decision victory over Canelo in May 2022 before coming up short against Crawford last August when he cornered Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles.
But despite having first-hand experience of Crawford’s undeniable brilliance, Diaz doesn’t give ‘Bud’ a chance against Canelo.
“I see Canelo beating Crawford by a convincing decision. There is no way Crawford beats Canelo.
“Canelo is the king of the sport, and business-wise, Canelo can’t lose. If Canelo loses, boxing loses a lot of prestige.
“But don’t get me wrong, Crawford is one of my favourite fighters and pound-for-pound the best of this era.
“The fight will be interesting and back and forth for the first four rounds.
“Canelo has been hit by heavy hitters and never even flinched.
“As soon as Canelo feels that Crawford doesn’t have what it takes to hurt him, Canelo is going to walk him down.
“Crawford will make it a fight and fight back, but he’s a smart fighter and will play it safe once he’s hurt – that’s when Canelo will take over.
“Crawford is not going to be exchanging punches with Canelo in the middle of the ring.
“We’ve seen Crawford get buckled before, and believe me, Canelo hits harder than Yuriorkis Gamboa and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.”
Crawford opens up as a slight underdog heading into their Las Vegas showdown at the Allegiant Stadium on September 13.
The bookies’ backing of Canelo is understandable given the size disparity between the pair.
Crawford, who has never boxed above super welterweight (154lbs), is set to move up two weight classes to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight (168lbs) crown.
He will do so without the aid of a rehydration clause, making the feat of beating Canelo all the more impressive should he pull it off.
If Crawford is able to overcome the odds stacked against him, then he will likely leapfrog Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk to the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.
A triumph would make him the first male three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era.
Inoue and Usyk are currently tied with Crawford at two separate weight classes.
