It seems that the possible clash between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez could finally happen. The pair of pugilists met with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh in London at the same time, which has further reinforced the rumors about the realization of this fight.
Renowned boxing journalist Julius Julianis revealed that a September date in Las Vegas is being considered for the fight. While nothing is officially confirmed, fans and pundits have already begun to speculate and pick their winners
In the midst of all this, Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant also jumped on the prediction bandwagon, revealing his intentions to bet an astronomical amount on the fight to his chosen winner.
Bryant has no doubts about his favorite for the fight
The Black Mamba shared on her “X” account her winner of the possible matchup. She did it in her own style and wrote: “I’m putting 100 grand for Crawford!“, showing unwavering support for the 37-year-old.
Bryant and Crawford share a personal relationship and the NFL legend admires ‘Bud’ a lot. Bryant has publicly shown his support for the Omaha native on several occasions and the duo have even shared some nice moments together.
They have engaged in friendly competitions, such as their one-on-one basketball game, where Crawford lost to the soccer star. Therefore, it was no surprise that Bryant chose “Bud” as his winner against Canelo Alvarez. However, this choice has put him in a unique position, as Canelo is proving to be a heavy favorite among the pundits.
Canelo Alvarez remains the overall favorite
As expected, the fight has caught the attention of all boxing fans and even personalities. Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn is particularly looking forward to this fight. In a conversation with FightHype, Hearn expressed his excitement for the clash and picked Canelo as his winner. He stated: “Crawford really can’t come to fight, in that fight because he has a huge, huge size disadvantage,” referring to the 14-pound difference the duo share.
Hearn is not the only one who thinks the weight limit will be too much for ‘Bud’ to overcome. Demetrius Andrade expressed the same concerns to FightHubTV. He claimed that despite the 41-0 boxer’s friendship, “when it comes to weight, empowerment, that s**t is real. Canelo is a fierce wolf… I think Crawford has the skills, but when it comes to Saul taking punches and blocking his power punches, Canelo also knows how to move,” and called it a losing battle for Crawford.
WBC interim light heavyweight and super middleweight champion David Benavidez also believes Canelo Alvarez is the favorite. Benavidez moved up to 175 after Canelo refused to face him even when he was the top contender. However, the Red Flag Monster still holds the 62-2-2 boxer in high regard and admires his skill and power. Something that will be too much for Terence Crawford. “Crawford is a unique fighter, but weight classes must be respected. I would give the edge to Canelo,” Benavidez said.
However, ‘Bud’ has found support from an unexpected place, as the undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk considers him the favourite, despite the consensus. “I like Terence. He’s my friend, but he’s a crazy man. I say Terence wins. Listen, Terence is a different man,” Usyk told the Three Knockdown Rule podcast.
Even though Canelo Alvarez is the favorite, no one has completely denied Terence Crawford. Everyone knows that he is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. In addition, he is fully motivated for this clash, given that he has been chasing it for quite some time.
So, while Canelo has a slight weight advantage, he should not feel complacent. After all, it could be the biggest fight of the year, and ‘Bud’ knows how to steal the night.