Who’s Picking Canelo Alvarez? Predictions compiled by Anson Wainwright
And with the little gloves, he’s definitely gonna feel the difference in punching power.”
down. From experience, I know that being heavy is not the best way to go. You don’t punch harder either. You get hit more, and if you get hit more by Canelo, that could be good night. I think Canelo wins, possibly by knockout in the sixth or seventh round.”
ring and are both very good boxers. But nothing is set in stone; they’re two men trying to be the best boxer, and the one with the best preparation and tactics will win. I’m going with Canelo.”
" I think it’s gonna be a great fight while it lasts, but if Crawford tries to engage with Canelo, I think it’s gonna be big trouble ... ”
- Bob Santos
CALLUM SMITH The Ring’s No. 3-rated light heavyweight/former super middleweight champion “[Crawford is] the most skillful fighter Canelo has been in with for a while. He will cause a lot of problems early on with speed and movement. I just think Canelo’s natural size will play a factor over the distance.”
to make him miss, but I’m still going with Canelo. His size, his boxing ability, his talent – and he only needs one shot. It might be the one shot that does [Crawford in]. Let’s have it right: [Canelo’s] knocked out people at light heavyweight. I’m going to go with Canelo by knockout.”
of his life. It’s only going to be a competitive fight for the first five or six rounds. Terence Crawford is a great fighter and a great technician. He’s going to move around, use his skill, but once Canelo starts feeling that Crawford can’t hurt him, he’s going to get in there and start breaking him down. I think Canelo will win by decision.”
MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA Former three-weight world champion/Hall of Famer “I think it’s going to be a good fight as long as Crawford’s cardio isn’t affected by the weight. It’s three divisions up, plus whatever Canelo can gain in 24 hours. That is Crawford’s biggest challenge. I think Crawford is a great fighter, but I think Canelo can win by knockout. However, Crawford’s skill and ring I.Q. can make the fight go the distance.”
gets hit by someone at that weight and whether his speed will have the impact when he’s gained weight. Some fighters, when they step up, get heavier and tire quicker. It’s win-win. He’ll go in undefeated, and if he loses, he’s never been a super middleweight and he’s making a fortune. If he wins, that’ll put him with some of the greats. I think when it comes to the middle and late rounds, that’s when the weight and natural
SERGIO MORA Former WBC junior middleweight titleholder/fight analyst fighter, while Canelo will be the bigger, stronger, more experienced fighter. I favor the latter. Like the old adage goes: A great big man will beat a great small man. I do see Canelo getting beat to the punch and outboxed in spots, but not enough to sway enough rounds [for Crawford] to win a decision. It’ll be close; Canelo will not leave unscathed. Canelo by decision.” “Crawford will be the quicker, taller, longer
MIGUEL COTTO Former four-weight world champion/ Hall of Famer “Canelo is a very intelligent fighter. He’s grown a lot over the years, not just in skill but in how he controls the pace and distance of a fight. I fought
SHANE MOSLEY Former three-weight world champion/ Hall of Famer “I think it could be a fight where we see how good Terence Crawford really is. Crawford is a great fighter at 135, 140 and 147. We don't know about ’54, because he [has only fought one guy] at ’54. Making a leap to 168 to fight Canelo and beat him would be historical. With all that being said, I think Canelo is too big. If they fought at 154, it could have gone either way. Now you add extra weight to Canelo and Crawford, which is going to slow Crawford
JOEL DIAZ Former world title challenger/ world-class trainer
CHRISTIAN MBILLI The Ring’s No. 1-rated super middleweight “It’s a very interesting fight. For me, my favorite is Canelo. I think maybe Crawford will win the first four rounds, because he has good speed and technique. But round by round, Canelo will come on and be better in Rounds 6, 7 and 8, because he’s bigger. I think on points, but Canelo can stop him too. We saw in the fight with [Jermell] Charlo – it won’t be the same, but I think the power of Canelo will get the win. I hope to fight the winner!”
him in 2015 at middleweight,
strength will come into it. I’d expect Canelo to win on points, possibly late stoppage.”
and I can tell you firsthand – his strength is real. But what makes him dangerous is his patience and timing. When I moved up to middleweight, I had to rely more on my speed and movement. The punches from the bigger guys – especially someone like Canelo – carry more weight. You can box, you can move, but you still feel it. Your body feels different at that weight, and the power exchanges are not the same as at 140, 147 or 154. That’s something every fighter has to adjust to, mentally and physically. Size will matter.”
“As a coach and a former fighter, I know common sense: Canelo is too big for Crawford. Crawford is a great fighter and I’ve been a big fan. To me, he’s the best fighter of this era. But he’s a 154-pounder who just moved up from 147. He’s moving up to 168 to fight a solid 168-pound fighter. There’s no way. We faced Crawford with Israil Madrimov, and I thought we won the fight. Madrimov is a 154-pounder and he gave Terence Crawford the fight
MATTHEW MACKLIN Former three-time world title challenger/fight analyst
JOE CALZAGHE Former two-weight world champion/ Hall of Famer “I just think stepping up to super middleweight is too much of an ask. You have to say Canelo [will win]. I think he’s a big favorite going into the fight. Canelo isn’t a big super middleweight; he’s not tall, so height and reach will be level. That will work in Crawford’s favor. I just wonder how he’ll respond when he
RICKY HATTON Former two-weight world champion/Hall of Famer “Under normal circumstances, I would say Canelo is far too big, and he’s very skillful in his own right. But he has had a lot of fights, and there must be a time when wear and tear takes its toll on him. Crawford might be able
BOB SANTOS World-class trainer
“I think he’ll just be too big and that it will be a bridge too far for Crawford. I do think Canelo is on the slide, but Crawford ain’t no spring chicken either. He beat [Israil] Madrimov because he’s a better, more skillful boxer, but the physicality of Madrimov caused him problems. Canelo on points.”
OSLEYS IGLESIAS The Ring’s No. 3-rated super middleweight “I think Canelo will win because he’s already had a lot of fights at 168 pounds. They both have a lot of experience in the
“I think it’s gonna be a great fight while it lasts, but if Crawford tries to engage with Canelo, I think it’s gonna be big trouble, like [Oscar] De La Hoya versus [Bernard] Hopkins. This is Crawford’s first fight at 168 and I think the size difference is gonna be a little bit too much.
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