Trainer Robert Garcia believes Terence Crawford will give Canelo Alvarez a tough fight despite his lack of size in their potential clash early next year.
Canelo’s late-round Advantage
Garcia thinks Crawford’s skills will enable him to climb two weight classes from 154 to 168 to give four-belt super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) a brutal fight. However, in the later rounds, Robert predicts that Canelo will get to the soon-to-be 37-year-old Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) and knock him out.
Crawford still needs to win his upcoming title challenge against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd to be eligible to fight Canelo. Moreover, the Nebraska native will have to look good against Madrimov to be considered a live threat for a fight two divisions above at 168 against Canelo.
Crawford’s Upcoming Fight: A Crucial Stepping Stone
If Crawford squeaks by Madrimov or makes it look ugly by running, people will not take him seriously as an available threat to Canelo, and they will continue pushing for the Mexican star to fight David Benavidez.
If Crawford loses to Madrimov, which is a real possibility, there would be no point in him fighting Canello at Super Middleweight. The fan interest won’t be there for that fight.
“I think it is a big fight because Crawford is huge pound-for-pound #1 or #2 or #3 for a lot of people, and he does have skills,” said trainer Robert Garcia to K.O. Artist Sports about a fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez in early 2025.
“It’ll be a fight that does really good numbers. I think it’s a fight that will sell. Crawford will put up some good rounds. I think that Canelo is the bigger guy and more experienced, and I think in the later rounds, he’ll catch him and maybe stop him. But Crawford will put up a good fight. I know that for a fact,” said Garcia.
Given that Canelo is a slow starter, Crawford will do well in the early rounds, land a lot of shots, and run around the ring to avoid contact. But in the second half of the fight, Canelo is going to pure trouble for Crawford because he’s got the power advantage, and his stamina will likely be better. Crawford will pack on a lot of muscle that will slow him down, making him easier to hit.
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