Promotor Oscar de la Hoya doubts that Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez, the Unified Super Middleweight Champion, can defeat when he moves up two divisions to challenge him for his belts on September 13. De la Hoya mentions that a ‘good little man’ ‘never hit a good big man.’
(Credit: Melanie Pizano/Matchroom)
Fighters who beat bigger guys:
- Sugar Ray Robinson
- Roy Jones jr.
- Sugar Ray Leonard
- Manny Pacquiao
Too big leap?
It is difficult for Crawford (41-0, 31 COs) to achieve the performance, as he will essentially move three weight classes after a poor performance in his debut on 154 in August against Israel Madrimov. The fight was close enough to be a draw, but the judges gave it to Crawford, and you can understand why. He was the A side.
Crawford’s reluctance to fight at 160 or 168 to stay busy and proving himself is another reason why he’s not going to beat Canelo. Terence, of course, rubbed fighters in those weight classes and knows that it would be a bad idea for him to compete against one of the killers before getting his big mega-million battle against Canelo.
“I’ve been in this game for so long, and I would like to say that I am a historian. There has never been a good little man beating a good big man. It didn’t happen, ‘said Oscar de la Hoya Fighting type When asked about his thoughts on whether Terence Crawford could move two weight classes to defeat Canelo Alvarez at Super Middleweight.
“The exception is perhaps that Pacquiao beat me, but the situation was completely different. I was at the end of my career, I was a shot fighter, and Pacquiao came up, and he beat me. But a good little man, who is Crawford, has never beat a good big man, who would be Canelo in the history of the sport. “
Crawford’s age
It is clear that many fighters have moved several divisions to defeat larger fighters in the past. What makes Crawford’s task more problematic for him is his advanced age, inactivity and a lack of power. Bud is 38 in September; He looks it. In addition, Crawford has been fighting only once a year since 2020 and will run down from 13 months.
A fighter can get away with the kind of inactivity when they are younger or fight less opposition, but as they get older and get up and fight against someone well, they lose. Maybe Crawford doesn’t care if he’s being beaten. He was one of the reasons why he wanted to fight Alvarez so badly. That’s the money.
Nebraska native Crawford can nowhere close to the same kind of dough fighting at 154, and some guys in that weight class would knock him off from him. Guys like Bakhram Murtazaliev, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Sebastian Fundora and Serhii Bohachuk would age Crawford. If he only fights once a year, he will never fight half of the guys until he is pension.
‘If Crawford can do this, this man gives the title of’The biggest ever. ‘ This is probably the motivation for Crawford and his coach. “Look, if you can beat Canelo, you can go off as one of the historical best fighters on the planet.” This is enough motivation for any fighter. I just don’t see it as a fighter.
‘Canelo is a big puncher. Yes, he walks on Quicksand, and that’s one thing Crawford can use against him. The pressure of a heavier guy. Canelo will impose 200 pounds in the ring. So, it’s a difficult struggle, but I give all the credit to Crawford if he pulls out one, ‘says De la Hoya.
Shopworn Canelo?
De la Hoya goes overboard with what Crawford would achieve if he soon beat 35-year-old Canelo Alvarez. Terence would not be the ‘biggest ever’ if he defeated Canelo, because the Mexican star has faded over the past three years and has not been a difficult battle since 2022.
If Crawford beat this faded version of Canelo, he would only have beaten a shopworn man who would probably have lost many times if he were to fight the Top 168 pound instead of avoiding it. Canelo swung former Super Middles David Banavidez and David Morrell, and he clearly avoids the top 168-pound contenders.
A victory for Crawford against Alvarez would only prove what expert box fans already know: Canelo is over the hill. Therefore, he does not want to fight against the true murderers by 168, and why he avoided benavidez and Morrell when they were in the division.
Last updated on 03/26/2025
