Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford: Race Maxims, Tactical breakdown and final prediction

When you talk about Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and look at what he has achieved, from a fifteen-year-old debut as a thirty-five man as a 15-year-old man, it is easy to run out of superlative. The same goes for Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.

The words legend, superstrella, indisputable and large -pound champion for pounds have been thrown by boxing scribes for decades, but we rarely listen to that fighters are described as special. Crawford and Alvarez are this; Both are extraordinary in what they have achieved in their lives as boxers.

Crawford started boxing at the age of seven at the local gym in Omaha, Nebraska. He campaigned in seventy competitions before becoming a professional in 2008.

Alvarez Amateur Foundation

Alvarez came from a family of struggle, following his brothers in the gym every day they saw them training and scare. He was thirteen years old when he started boxing to the fans. After forty-six contests, Alvarez became a professional in 2005 at the age of fifteen.

In 2014, after accumulating a stunning streak of 22-0 wins, Crawford traveled to Glasgow, Scotland, to challenge the proud Wbo Ricky Burns champion. The lasting champion surpassed and surpassed when Crawford put his heart and his title, beating it in points to win his first world title.

Going up the divisions

Good wins on Yuriorkis Gamboa and Raymundo led Crawford to climb Thomas Dulment for Wbo Light Weight Title in Texas. Crawford abused Dulormorma to win in the sixth round and become a world champion of two pesos.

Crawford defended his lightweight title, then overcome the extremely harsh harsh Ukrainian Boxer Victor Postitus for the title of WBC Light-Welterweight and the Ring Belt in 2016. After more defenses, he faced Julius Univers for his WBC and WBO belts along with the title of IBF, leaving him with a body on the third. round.

In 2018, Crawford moved to challenge the Australian Jeff Horn for his recent heavy weight title from Wbo. Crawford dismantled and beat the champion to win a world title in a third class of weight.

Crawford vs. Top Condendents

Crawford surpassed Amir Khan, Kell Brook and Shawn Porter in great wins. It was now 2022, and the next was David Avanayan. Crawford eliminated him in the sixth round to preserve his heavy weight title Wbo, and this victory was essential to obtain a mega struggle with the world’s heavy weight champion, Errol Spence Jr. He went into the fight, many privileged ones had Spence so great, too fast and too powerful for Crawford. I chose Crawford to dominate and control the struggle: my vision was that Spence came in as a damaged fighter. I thought Crawford would go to Spence’s eye, and did so, overcoming the unified champion to a pulp to become the world’s undisputed world champion.

After a year of rest, Crawford moved to challenge the champion of Wbo Junior Israil Madrimov in 2024. Madrimov was a fan decorated with 350 competitions under the belt and was unbeaten as a professional. The man of Uzbekistan was well schooled and hard as a rock.

Crawford jumped well, counteracting Madrimov and winning inside, but the champion fought with pride and determination to take Crawford the distance in a tremendous struggle. Crawford won all three cards to become a world champion in a fourth class. Terence Crawford is 41-0 with 31 kos.

The first world title of Alvarez

Saul Alvarez won his first world title in his thirty-seventh struggle. He won the English fighter Matthew Hatton in points to claim the WBC Half Half Weight Championship in 2011.

After the Knockout won about Ryan Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron, he combined to fight Shane Mosley in 2012. Alvarez fought patiently and maturity against the dangerous and experienced Mosley, gaining points in Las Vegas.

Facing Mayweather and beyond

After beating Josesito Lopez and Austin Trout and adding the Half WBA and Ring Junior belts, he took Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather was too good inside, too smart on the outside and too fast for Alvarez, surpassing it in points in 2013.

Alvarez returned in March 2014 against the hard Alfredo Angulo, beating it in ten rounds, then fought against Erislandy Lara in a very disputed attack that won by a division decision. He was then the powerful James Kirkland, but Alvarez’s pressure, speed and power were too many, who dropped him out in the third round to set a fight with the great Miguel Cotto Porto -Rican.

Clash and Khan annoyed

Alvarez and Cotto exchanged punches for twelve tremendous rounds, but in the end, speed, synchronization and variety of punches were decisive. Alvarez countered Cotto with large right hands, uppercase and hard body features to win by unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

In 2016, Alvarez assumed Amir Khan and was a mailbox until he entered with a devastating right hand in Khan’s jaw in the sixth round, eliminating it cold. Alvarez won the title of Wbo Junior Middleweight after breaking the brave Liam Smith, whipping his body with fast left boots to get him out of the ninth round.

Chávez Jr. and the Golovkin duels

In 2017, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-2-1) went out to the side. Despite the testosterone, Mexican pride and presumption rights were the main issues of this fight against heavy weight. Alvarez dismantled and punished Chavez Jr. Much bigger, bringing -the twelve rounds on the weekend of Mexican Independence Day in Las Vegas.

Gennady Golovkin has been terrorizing the middle weight division for years, and a struggle with Alvarez was lucrative and inevitable. His first attack in September 2017 was declared a draw in the division, many called it a robbery. The resale took place after a delay of twelve months and Alvarez was declared a winner for the majority decision, alleging the WBC, WBA and Ring Middleweight championships in the world.

The subsequent defenses of the race and the title

From there, Alvarez defeated Rocky Fielding in Super Middleweight and Daniel Jacobs in Middleweight in 2019. Then he went up to a slight heavy weight to challenge Sergey Kovalev for Wbo title, stopping Kovalev at the eleventh round.

After defeating Callum Smith on points and defending his middle weight titles, he abused Avni Yildirim in three rounds, destroyed Billy Joe Saunders in eight rounds, and stopped the Caleb plant in eleven rounds to end 2021 as an indisputable champion.

Alvarez ventured to a slight heavy weight to challenge Dmitry Bivol in May 2022. Bivol struggled brilliantly to close Alvarez’s attack and retained his title.

Alvarez returned to Las Vegas for the trilogy struggle with Golovkin in Super Middleweight, winning a unanimous decision and retaining all important belts. He continued to defend his super half titles against John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, Jamie Munguia, Edgar Berlanga and William Scull.

At the age of thirty-four, after a career of sixty-seven struggle, is Alvarez at the end? Of course, it is not. He has made hundreds of millions dismantling and eliminating opponents, but it seems that their devastating power has declined as the years have passed to Super Middleweight.

Comparative Analysis: Experience and Skill

Crawford will be thirty-eight on the night of struggle, but it has had much less fights and much less wear and tear. He has had eleven wins stopped from his Madrimov combat, so he will be the coolest fighter.

Since 2021, Crawford has struggled five times with four unemployed wins. Alvarez has struggled ten times, and seven of these fights have traveled the distance.

There is a lot of talk about insider boxing people who say that Crawford will be too small for an average weight. This is an absolute nonsense. Alvarez is 5’8 “with a wingspan of 70.5”; Crawford is 5’8 “with a wingspan of 74.0”.

This struggle is about who can adapt to the man who is in front of them. The experience is with Alvarez. Skill is with Crawford.

The fight

Alvarez and Crawford have been fighting and training for years. Who is the fighter with less wear? Crawford has 31 halting wins and has been a dominant force since 2008. Alvarez has 39 stoppages, but his last TKO was in 2021 in Super Middleweight. Will Crawford contribute two weight divisions? Probably not.

To win, Crawford has to box and move and be out of the ropes. JAB is the key: Use your fist and bend it. Crawford has rhythm, balance and movement, and can change without Southpaw to Orthodox. It is the upper boxer and can hit. Can you hurt Alvarez? Yes. Can you stop Alvarez? Number

Alvarez is a pressure fighter: a fantastic machine, a sharp shooter. Will Crawford take advantage of slow boot tactic? Can Outbox Crawford? The answer is no. Crawford will make him grow old and get tired in the fight? Yes.

Crawford by unanimous decision in this champions battle.

About Gary Todd

Gary Todd is an international best -selling author. He has participated in all aspects of boxing sports for decades. Look at his latest book: next October 2025.