Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford is here and the era of TKO boxing has begun.
UFC CEO Dana White will plunge into the much-anticipated world of boxing this Saturday. He is shaking wildly as a member of the team that promotes the dream matchups of legendary boxing champions Alvarez and Crawford. Alvarez is one of the biggest stars of his generation, but the undefeated Crawford has carved out his own legacy over the past decade, and a victory over Alvarez could indicate a change in the security guards.
MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee and Jedmesh are looking forward to MegaFight’s interests and what it means for the future of the industry.
1. Will Terrence Crawford be the number one boxing name in victory?
Lee: The doors open wide here. Because, just like Terrence Crawford did, he has not invaded the mainstream at the same level as his contemporaries. Tyson Fury’s oversized personality was impossible to ignore, and Olexandre Usaik’s two divisional domination captured the hearts of fans of hardcore fighting. And even Naya Inouye, despite being arguably a one-pound pound fighter, rarely competed in the US.
But yes, if he beat Canelo in a compelling way, it’s the nudge he needs to ultimately get the recognition he deserves. At 37 (38 by the end of the month), Crawford will likely hold this torch for a long time, but if he can maximize his profitability with the Twilight of his career, he can maximize his strength.
mesh: I’m going to say no just because even if he wins, “buds” might just hang on them. In other words, he already has nothing to prove, and this fight is going to make him very rich. Even if he defeats Canelo, I don’t think anyone wants a long-term opportunity at super middleweight, so what will he continue to fight for?
Away from the fight at 42-0, he is the top pound fighter in the world and perhaps the best boxer of this generation. That should be more than enough for everyone. and after that He advances into the nonsense fighting ring, earning millions of dollars in “exhibition” fights with Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, or Floyd Mayweather, and doesn’t have nearly the same level of risk.
2. How big will this battle be from the viewer’s perspective?
Lee: Maybe I was in the bubble (or abroad), but do you feel like there was no talk about this? The entire operation felt like it was being thrown in with a date and location that was being switched at some point and a completely unforgettable undercard (in one fight from the top of the head, not possible). You should be even more excited! He keeps Canelo and Crawford calm!
We can’t all see the hype around this approaching critical mass, as jazzed, as it is by the time the fight rolls. Even setting Netflix’s viewership bar far below the absurd height of Tyson vs. Paul, I think Dana and Turki would be a bit disappointed if the numbers came in.
So I’m predicting a TKO hit, but is it something like an event that will resonate a year from now? Hmm…
mesh: I really don’t know. AK is right that it doesn’t feel this has the same hype as Tyson vs Paul, but of course it isn’t. And it still has some juice. I always postpone the “mama test.” There, I know that fighting is a big deal when normal people in my daily life ask me about it. Plus, it’s basically on Netflix that everyone has. So I think it’s going to get quite big.
But I don’t think it’s close to 550-60 million numbers. This will be a big boxing event with a crossover appeal, but it’s happening on Saturday nights too, and Lord, I know that most people who are randomly fighting on Netflix probably watch college football (LSU vs Florida and Texas A&M vs Notre Dame are the following weekend).
3. How will the battle unfold?
Lee: Canelo has (just rightly) played it safely and has gained a reputation for not pushing the pace in recent years, but I think the optimistic Crawford will bring out the best of him. I’ll beat him again.
Crawford is giving up a ton of sizes here, so he has to be in his tricky, switch-like vest to turn off Canelo. Neither guy is known for being the fastest starters, so I’d like to know who would try to steal the early rounds with what is likely to be a close fight on the card.
Give Crawford to overtake Canelo and even the Mexican star who is likely to surge in rounds 10, 11 and 12, land the best punch of the fight. At least in the book, it must be -1000.
mesh: If Canelo can’t win, I’m incredibly shocked, and I hope he wins relatively easily. I love Terrence Crawford and I think he’s the best pound fighter in the world, but he’s giving up on the enormous amount of size here and he’s getting older. Crawford didn’t look astoundingly towards Israeli Madrimov. The Canelo is a much better fighter, and a bigger fighter.
After all, the simplest answer to predicting the Battle of Canelo is to ask, “Did Canelo accept this battle?” Because if he does, he’s probably winning. There’s a reason Canelo isn’t fighting David Benavidez. Maybe I won’t win. And this stage of his career is managing Canelo’s risks. For Crawford, the chances are too big to pass, but for Canelo, this is a prize fight. It’s the maximum payday with the lowest risk.
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