BATTLE PLAN: CANELO ALVAREZ
middleweight, and his one bout above 147 pounds was not the statement his fans had hoped for. Last August, he won the WBA 154-pound title with a close unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov at BMO
boxing as Hernandez. The Ring reached out to the Los Angeles native to get his thoughts on this bout and the particular advantages and disadvantages that Canelo has coming into it. How will these factors
the veteran’s overall boxing IQ. “He has that ability, and I think that’s what makes him such a great fighter.” In the past, athletic boxers including Yuriorkis Gamboa, Kell Brook and Shawn Porter have jumped out to
Stadium in Los Angeles. It was far from a dominant outing for “Bud.” For the first time since 2016 (spanning 11 bouts), he failed to score a stoppage. However, those who view Canelo-Crawford as a legitimate matchup point to the very clear signs that Alvarez is slowing down. The Mexican superstar is three years younger than Crawford, but he has 67 bouts on his ledger and hasn’t scored a knockout since 2021 (when he stopped Caleb Plant). He’s had seven consecutive bouts go the distance. If he can’t stop
early leads but weren’t able to sustain their advantages – and all three ended up as KO victims. Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas may have actually scored a knockdown in his bout against Crawford in 2019 (it was ruled a slip), but he was eventually overwhelmed in nine rounds. Crawford did all this from both stances. “He’s a right-hander who likes to turn southpaw, so whatever it is that he does, I’m going to have something ready for it. Whatever he decides to do, I’ll be ready,” said Hernandez. “Alvarez is
Rudy Hernandez is one of the finest coaches in the sport.
run-of-the-mill tough guys like Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga, or cut the ring off against a skittish dancer like William Scull, how’s he going to clip Crawford? The pride of Omaha, Nebraska, isn’t just a master boxer who’s won major belts in four divisions (which isn’t the feat it once was in this watered-down era of multiple belts and junior weight classes); he’s a versatile punisher who achieved undisputed champ status at junior welterweight and welterweight by his 40th bout. World-class trainer Rudy Hernandez sees both sides of the debate. He’s a Crawford fan and a big believer in the switch-hitter’s ability, but at the same time he’s leaning in favor of Alvarez. A former fighter himself, Hernandez is the brother and trainer of former two-time junior lightweight titleholder Genaro Hernandez. Now he corners unified Ring bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani and WBO flyweight beltholder Anthony Olascuaga. There is nobody as blunt and as honest in answering questions about the sport of
bigger, stronger.” When asked if this variable makes Crawford even more difficult to prepare for, Hernandez stated, “You know what you’re going to get, because that’s him. That’s the way he fights. If you’re not ready for that guy that switches, you didn’t do your job. But I believe Canelo will have the timing [to catch Crawford between stances].” The old saying “There are weight classes for a reason” will be repeated often – mainly by the Crawford doubters – during the buildup to this fight. Both will be weighing in as super middleweights, but the reality is that Alvarez is the naturally bigger boxer. Keep this in mind: While Alvarez made his pro debut in 2005 at 139 pounds, he was just 15 years old. He would soon settle in as a welterweight and won his first major world title against Matthew Hatton as a junior middleweight (albeit at a catchweight of 150 pounds, which Canelo missed by a pound and a half). CRAWFORD’S WEAKNESSES
come into play when Crawford and Canelo meet inside Allegiant Stadium, and how would he prepare the Guadalajara idol to win the fight? CRAWFORD’S STRENGTHS When you think of Crawford, the first thing that comes to mind is how versatile he is inside the ring. You could make an argument that he is the greatest switch-hitter in boxing history. Yes, other boxers have changed stances during a fight, but nobody has done it as often or as effectively as he has. And while “downloading data” long ago became a tired phrase in boxing, it rings true for Crawford, who more than once has given up early rounds and then made the necessary adjustments to pick apart and break down opponents late in fights. “Crawford has a real ability to read a fighter,” said Hernandez, who lauds
Canelo gave Jaime Munguia his first taste of ring canvas.
Meanwhile, Crawford began punching for pay in 2008 at the age of 20. In his first outing, he weighed in at 137 pounds. When he won his first major title, it came against Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight belt. Both Alvarez and Crawford have won titles in multiple weight classes, but it’s Alvarez who has gone as high as light heavyweight. He was able to overcome Sergey Kovalev in the late rounds in 2019 but was thoroughly outboxed by Dmitry Bivol a few years later. The highest Crawford has gone is junior middleweight – once. “Canelo will have a big advantage in strength, also in punching power,” opined Hernandez. As slick as Crawford can be, he has been touched and hurt. The
drop them the way he could at super middleweight.” HOW TO PREPARE CANELO FOR CRAWFORD As the fighters prepare for this battle, Hernandez believes that Alvarez shouldn’t just focus on being bigger or stronger than Crawford, but on actually honing his own skills. Throughout the years, there has been an evolution in Alvarez’s style. He was once a basic come-forward boxer, but over time he became a slick counterpuncher who would make opponents miss. With age has come a decline in overall work rate. This current version of Alvarez is more economical in his output. But Hernandez thinks that the focus should not be on power.
abovementioned Gamboa and Kavaliauskas were smaller fighters. At this juncture of their careers, Alvarez is now a full-fledged super middleweight. He has fought at 168 pounds (or above) since 2019, spanning his last 12 outings. So will size matter? “On this one? Yes,” said Hernandez, who understands that as fighters move up in weight, their skills don’t suddenly erode, but their power does diminish. “There was this guy named James Toney who was a 168-pounder who went on to fight as a heavyweight. He put hands on big heavyweights, but he couldn’t
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