Dazn commentator Chris Mannix doubts whether the muscle that added Terence Crawford to his fraudulent frame will delay him like a ship’s anchor for his title challenge against the undisputed super -middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on September 13.
A year of raising
Crawford (41-0, 31 COs) had a year to add weight and practice just for this fight against Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 COs) at Netflix in the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. To comply with the middle of the 180s without testing the weight in a real battle at Super Mid -Light, Crawford places in a challenging situation.
“One of the questions I have for Bud in this battle is when you walk around six and further. The extra muscle he carries around. Is he still durable? Is he still fresh in the second half of the fight? ‘ Say commentator Chris Mannix to Dazn boxIf you question or the weight that Terence Crawford has packed over the past year will delay him like an anchor for his title challenge against Canelo Alvarez.
Extra weight, less speed
If you carry that extra weight, Crawford will slow down. He’s not going to be faster to carry an extra 20+ pound around. As Mannix points out, the muscle on which Crawford was packed can delay him, making him vulnerable to Canelo, who is used to fighting in this section. Being struck by Canelo can be an uncomfortable experience for Crawford.
Even if Alvarez does not strike him, he may have trouble winning rounds. The judges will focus on the fighter who lands the harder, cleaner shots, and it would be Canelo. Crawford did not show an increase in power to move against Israil Madrimov on August 3, 2024.
Canelo’s 12-round endurance
“We know that Canelo can go 12 rounds and be well over 12 rounds. He did it again and again,” Mannix said. “We know that Crawford can fight deep in smaller weights. Muscle is heavy. He’s going to wear it against a man who’s going to be fast, be strong and will be elite in the second half of the fight. ‘
The close victory of Madrimov
Crawford looked slower and not so energetic in his last fight, and acted on August 3, 2024 from 147 to 154 to tackle WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov. Terence ate a lot of bumps to win a close 12-round unpleasant decision, but it was a struggle he could lose if Madrimov was in the championship.
It was not the kind of performance that indicated that Crawford would be a lock to defeat the other top 154 pounds. He looked at his age in that battle, and his power was not the same.
“I thought it was a very close struggle. I thought Madrimov personally won the battle. I thought he landed the cleaner shots and controlled the pace, ”said the promoter Eddie Hearn.
“There is no doubt that Crawford will come to this battle as if he is in the best form of his life. He looks physically spectacular. He fitted the weight properly. And this is not the case of a man who stands up for a few months to prepare up to 168 pounds. He prepared for this movement for the better part of a year.
Crawford took a whole year to practice for this fight against Alvarez. Bud’s last fight was against Israel Madrimov on May 3, 2024, and he knew then that Canelo was next. So, instead of returning to the fight for fights, he chose to use over the past 12 months to slowly brighten up.
Yet it is not ideal for Crawford to attract a lot of weight to fight in the 168 -pound weight class without experience after a year of inactivity. He chose to jump in immediately, rather than taking the gradual route that other fighters have.
The Leonard-Hagler equation
Fans and the media argue that Crawford can win because Sugar Ray Leonard has already proven that a warrior can jump in to fight a larger man when he defeated the then WBC and the ring of middleweight champion Marvin Hagler by a controversial 12 round decision on April 6, 1987.
Leonard was 30, not 37, and 38, like Crawford. Leonard’s previous fight was also at 154, and he just moved up one weight division, not two like Crawford. The outcome of the Leonard-Hagler battle was far from conclusive, as many boxing fans felt that Hagler had done enough to earn the victory. The judges’ scores were:
- 115–113 for Leonard
- 118–110 for Leonard
- 115–113 for Hagler
Last updated on 08/28/2025
