Oleksandr Usyk thinks Terence Crawford will defeat Canelo Alvarez, the unified three-belt super middleweight champion if their mega-fight happens in the first quarter of next year.
(Credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
WBA/WBC/WBO heavyweight champion Usyk believes that Crawford’s technical skills will be crucial in overcoming Canelo’s (61-2-2, 39 KOs) size and power.
The Making of the Mega-Fight
The Canelo-Crawford match still hasn’t been made, but His Excellency Turki Alalshikh wants it to happen. He reportedly said he would offer Canelo a “fair price” for the fight.
It is unknown just how much that would be, but it would have to be tremendous for Canelo to want to risk tarnishing his legacy against a welterweight.
“I say Terence wins. Terence is a different man. Terence works in two sides on the right and the left,” said Oleksandr Usyk on the 3 Knockout Rule YouTube channel. If that fight plays out, Usyk predicts a victory for Terence Crawford over Canelo Alvarez at 168 next year.
“He feels the distance. Terence can box like a big guy,” said Usyk.
Given that Floyd Mayweather Jr. made over $200 million for his fight against Manny Pacquiao, Canelo might want equal money because he would be fighting a copy of ‘Money May.’ Turki probably won’t want to pay Canelo that money for a fight with Crawford because he will not bring in the PPV numbers that Mayweather-Pacquiao did.
Both of those guys were huge PPV draws when they fought in 2015. In contrast, Crawford has had only one successful PPV event in his 16-year career against Errol Spence in 2023. Spence was the reason for that success, not Crawford.
Crawford’s Mayweather-Inspired Strategy
It’s believed that Crawford will follow the Mayweather blueprint against Canelo, boxing and moving all night, looking to stay out of harm’s way to win a decision. It won’t be exciting to watch, but Crawford will accomplish his goal of beating Canelo and avoiding getting knocked out.
Crawford would stand no chance of beating Canelo if he brawls with him, so he’ll follow the Mayweather blueprint and box for twelve rounds. Fans who like to watch boxers will love the Canelo-Crawford fight, but not ones who prefer action.
It becomes a joke when a champion defends against a guy coming up three weight divisions to challenge for a world title, which would be the case if Crawford moved up to fight Canelo for his WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles. Canelo gets nothing from this fight and will be ridiculed by the public no matter how the contest ends.
Although Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) fights this Saturday night against WBA 154-lb champion Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles, a match between him and Canelo would still be viewed by fans as the Mexican star defending against a 147-pounder. You can’t call Crawford a junior middleweight after just one fight.
