Last month, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) lost all of his super middleweight titles to Terence “Bud” Crawford (42-0-0, 31 KOs) in a relatively one-sided fight. Of particular note is the fact that Crawford jumped up two (basically three) weight divisions for this monumental feat. Canelo, gracious in defeat, made no apologies after the loss, and though there were murmurs of a rematch, no official announcements were made.
It will all come down to Canelo’s motivation and whether he wants a rematch, which won’t be as interesting to the boxing public as the initial bout was. There were many unknowns heading into the first fight, including whether Crawford would be able to handle Alvarez’s power, whether Crawford himself would have enough power at 168 lbs., and whether both still had enough left in the tank being in their mid and late thirties. With both putting in less-than-stellar performances, it was hard to imagine what things might look like on fight night. Many felt that it would come down to size when the fight was announced; however, the closer the fight got, the more people began to lean toward Crawford and his impressive boxing intellect.
All questions were answered as Crawford showed that he is still very fresh and put on the extra weight fantastically, and Canelo showed that he still has problems with boxers who can manage distance well. For all the talk in the build-up about how Canelo looked old and ineffective against Scull, he didn’t seem to lose a step, but instead was beaten, caught with off-rhythm punches and unable to handle the angles Crawford set up. His hands were quick, and he was turning in the shots like he’s never done before, but Crawford was simply too elusive a target. Crawford managed the series with his smart feet and used his front hand perfectly to stop Canelo from setting up power shots and landing clean.
Canelo, somewhat confusingly, never tried to find his stride, which would have at least allowed him to compete with Bud in the fight for remote control. Even though he was knocked out, he managed to show his heart by continuing to throw power punches and press forward, even though Crawford often walked him into shots from odd angles. Even late in the fight, Canelo pressed hard at a few points, but each time he was met with extended, leafy combinations in retaliation. By the end of the night, Canelo was a beaten man, and he knew it. No apologies were given, and there was no controversy after the fight. The result was cut and dry.
Weeks after the fight, it was announced that Canelo would undergo elbow surgery, possibly the result of overstretching for shots that never landed. Whatever the case, there is no speculation that he entered the fight with an injured elbow, as it seems to be assumed by most that his ailment was a result of the fight.
There are many options for both fighters moving forward should they choose to continue their boxing careers. Crawford can drop to 160 or 154 and shoot for undisputed in either division, and assuming he doesn’t age in the next few years, he’ll likely dominate another division. Canelo could take a money fight with just about anyone if he still has the will to fight, or he could choose to pursue a rematch with Crawford to try and get a better outcome.
Regarding a possible rematch, Crawford’s trainer Brian “Bo-Mac” McIntyre claimed that Canelo would not be interested in one because his fighter defeated him comfortably in the initial bout. This is a safe assumption, but not a bulletproof one. While you’d be hard-pressed to find a knowledgeable boxing fan who would argue that Canelo is capable of competing with Crawford in terms of ring IQ, he’s still no slouch when it comes to boxing smarts. Historically, he has bounced back from losses with some new tools or a new outlook. Although he had a one-sided match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. lost, he was able to take the lesson from the schooling and become a much more cerebral fighter. After his first fight against Golovkin, which many agree he should have lost, he bounced back with a more refined style of aggression. There wasn’t much to take away from the Bivol loss, except that Canelo already did it at 168lb. pushed, and that tough fighters with smart feet will always be a problem for him.
If he chooses to continue, he will likely go back to the drawing board with his team, and one of the big takeaways will surely be that neglecting the sting was the beginning of the end. Without the jab, Crawford had all the time in the world to pick the perfect shots and keep Canelo blind and guessing.
They would also be wise to work on mixing lateral movement with forward pressure due to Crawford’s predominantly southpaw stance. In exchanges, Crawford often took a wide stance with his torso pulled back and off the center line, firing long-range shots while in the pocket (high IQ), knowing that Canelo would rather overextend than stomp around.
Crawford will obviously adjust as well, but maybe if Canelo can make it a little more competitive, he’ll regain some of the respect that came with his refinement after the loss to Mayweather Jr. The casual boxing fan has already said that Alvarez was never that good to begin with, not considering that two of his three losses were to generational fighters. To diminish Canelo’s accomplishments and ability because he was beaten by one of the smartest fighters we will likely ever see will also diminish Crawford’s greatness.
Lastly, is there a way for Canelo to bounce back completely and elevate his legacy with a rematch? In this writer’s opinion, that would only come via a knockout of Terence Crawford, who is harder to imagine than a fighter jumping three weight classes to defeat the undisputed champion in his first fight there.
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