Terence Crawford believes his upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez will be one of the most significant boxing matches in two decades. This comes after the two rivals recently shared dinner together.
The undefeated American fighter will move up to the super-middleweight division to challenge the undisputed Mexican champion in Las Vegas on September 13.
Crawford ranked the fight among the sport`s most important in recent memory, stating, “Over the last 20 years, I can definitely say it`s up there.”
UFC CEO Dana White is entering the boxing promotion arena for this event, which will be broadcast by Netflix.
Netflix previously ventured into boxing in November, drawing over 100 million viewers for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event, which reportedly caused streaming issues.
However, Crawford, a three-division world champion with 41 consecutive victories, asserts that he and the experienced 67-fight veteran Canelo are the true main attractions.
Crawford emphasized their central role: “Me and Canelo are the talent; without us, this wouldn`t be happening. We are making this event as massive as possible because of the body of work and accomplishments we`ve both achieved in the sport. When you look at it, we built this together with our careers.”
This mutual respect was evident when they shared a dinner with Saudi boxing head Turki Alalshikh the day before their Riyadh launch press conference.
Despite the friendly dinner, Crawford stated his mindset for the fight: “I don`t need dislike to fight Canelo. I don`t need to hate him or dislike him. But come fight night, the dislike and the hatred will be there.”
Terence Crawford starts training camp for huge Canelo Alvarez fight
Canelo has captured titles in four weight classes and remains the sport`s most prominent figure, having started his professional career 20 years ago at the age of 15.
Crawford, conversely, will put his cherished undefeated record on the line at the massive 65,000-seat Las Vegas Raiders stadium, valued at £1 billion.
He described the bout as the most important of his career, aiming to replicate the undisputed success he achieved at 140lbs and 147lbs.
Crawford outlined the high stakes: “Everything is up for grabs. Becoming a three-time undisputed champion in three different weight classes, moving up two divisions, facing the undefeated 168-pound champion and future Hall of Famer Canelo Alvarez. Everything is on the line.”
Canelo reclaimed his undisputed status at 168lbs in May with a challenging victory over Cuban William Scull in Saudi Arabia.
Following the fight, he faced off with the 37-year-old Crawford, who hasn`t competed since winning the WBA 154lb title against Israil Madrimov last August.
The Omaha native, honored with a street named after him in Nebraska, emphasized that the pressure falls equally on both superstar fighters.
He concluded by stressing his determination: “We both want to win. I don`t see why there`s less pressure on me. I want to win; I don`t want to lose! I`m not going to lose. I want to become undisputed in three weight classes.”
