Saul `Canelo` Alvarez, the renowned Mexican boxing star, has declared that he believes Terence Crawford is a superior fighter compared to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only opponent to have defeated him in his professional career.
In 2013, at just 23 years old, Canelo faced the undefeated Mayweather over 12 rounds and was clearly outmatched.
More than a decade later, Alvarez is preparing to step into the ring against another elite, undefeated American fighter, Terence Crawford. Their highly anticipated mega-fight is scheduled for September 13th in Las Vegas and will be streamed on Netflix. The upcoming bout has naturally drawn comparisons to Canelo`s past encounter with Mayweather.
Speaking from Riyadh, Canelo shared his perspective: “I think Crawford is better than Mayweather because he turns his guard to both sides, he`s more intelligent. I think he`s better than Floyd Mayweather. That`s what I think.”
Following his loss to Mayweather, who retired in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record, Canelo has successfully built a Hall of Fame legacy. He emphasizes that his significant improvement over the years isn`t solely attributable to the defeat against Mayweather but stems from lessons learned in every single fight. “I learned in every single fight not just in the Mayweather fight but I learned everything and for every fight. I`m gonna put all my experience there because I`m gonna need it.”
The 34-year-old Alvarez will defend his super-middleweight world titles against Crawford. For the 37-year-old Crawford, this fight marks his return to the ring since last August, when he defeated Israil Madrimov to capture the WBA 154lb title.
Crawford holds an unblemished record of 41-0 and has won world championships from lightweight up to super-welterweight. He is now aiming to achieve the historic feat of becoming an undisputed champion in three distinct weight divisions.
Alvarez acknowledged the challenge Crawford presents, stating: “He can use both guards. He can do everything he can counterpunch, move around, he`s a complete fighter. He`s gonna be a difficult fight but you know it`s nothing new for me.”
