Eddie Hearn has claimed that Terence Crawford might use Dmitry Bivol’s strategy against Canelo Alvarez.

By all accounts Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford should be a fight of the year contender, as it features two of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport who both boast exceptional records.

Crawford is 41-0-0 with 31 knockout wins under his belt. As for Alvarez, he is 63-2-2. Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol are the only two men to defeat him, with Bivol edging him out in May 2022 at light heavyweight.

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Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn, though, thinks Terence Crawford can replicate the type of challenge that Dmitry Bivol did against Alvarez. Speaking to Chris Mannix, Hearn said:

I don’t think it’s not dissimilar to the Dmitry Bivol fight in the sense of how Crawford could box in that fight [against Canelo]. He’s got the ability to keep him off, show angles, and then a spurt of aggressiveness to do enough to reset I think he can back him up. I don’t think he can stop him, well, Bivol didn’t have to stop him.

Eddie Hearn further added that Alvarez’s performance against William Scull has got him doubting the Mexican. He said:

I was really leaning towards Canelo Alvarez before Saturday (against Scull). Look, you can’t take too much from it, but, the thing is about Terence, he has unbelievable self-belief.

Terence Crawford has the skills to fight any style and get the job done. However, Canelo Alvarez was the smaller man going into the Dmitry Bivol fight as he moved up in weight. Crawford will need to move up not one, but two weight classes to fight Canelo.

How he responds to Alvarez’s power could be a key decider in the contest.

People are switching sides from Canelo Alvarez to Terence Crawford in droves, picking Crawford to win their September 12th fight in Las Vegas.

Unified super middleweight champion Canelo looked old, flat-footed, and slow in his win over IBF champion William Scull last Saturday night in Riyadh.

What was really telling was how Canelo, 34, threw only 152 punches in the entire fight. That’s not just because of Scull’s movement. Trainer Robert Garcia is the latest person to go from picking Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) to now leaning toward Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) winning. Robert saw what we all did with Alvarez, showing signs of deterioration from his long 20-year career.

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Three Poor Outings: He’d already shown signs of slippage in his fights against John Ryder and Jaime Munguiao. But after his clash against the hulking 193-lb Edgar Berlanga last September, Canelo has visibly faded. For those who saw that fight, Canelo took some big shots from Berlanga down the stretch and looked worn out in the 12th. He was lucky that boxing no longer has 15-round fights because Berlanga might have stopped him. “Now, I switch. I always thought Canelo was going to be too big and too strong, but now I’m going to pick Crawford to win this fight,” said trainer Robert Garcia on the YouTube channel of the Boxing Scene. “Crawford is very talented. Great footwork, great combinations, and a very strong fighter.”

Canelo’s performance against William Scull last Saturday has gotten a lot of fans to switch their picks. They’ve jumped off the sinking Alvarez chip and are picking Crawford to win on September 12th. It’s like rats abandoning a ship that is about to take its final plunge. It’s not that they’re fans of the Omaha, Nebraska native’s fighting style. Indeed, many people dislike the way Crawford fights, viewing him as not entertaining to watch, except for his one fight against Errol Spence. Boxing fans just see Canelo as being over the hill now at 34, as he’s looked poor in three consecutive fights. It started with Jaime Munguia, then Edgar Berlanga, and now Scull.

Looking Old: “Facing them off, he’s actually the taller man. I’m leaning toward Crawford now. I switched my opinion. I think Canelo looked too slow, too flat-footed, one punch at a time,” said Robert about Canelo’s fight against IBF super middleweight champion William Scull last Saturday night in Riyadh. Crawford obviously saw the deterioration in Canelo as well, which is one of the reasons he’s so eager to fight him. The money is clearly Terence’s main reason for fighting Canelo, but his looking shot is important as well. If Canelo were the same size as David Benavidez and fighting like him, Crawford wouldn’t be nearly as eager to fight him. He’d still do it for the money, but he’d have a vacant, doomed man look to him if he were facing Benavidez. “I don’t think that’s going to be enough for him to beat Crawford. Crawford is too fast, too strong, and too good,” said Garcia.

The fight is set and locked.

On September 12, Terence Crawford will face Canelo Alvarez. Now, while he is completely focused on the ring, Crawford knows that the upcoming war, probably the biggest boxing world has seen since the 2015 Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown, is as much about hearts and minds. It’s an altogether different playing field, and he needs to establish his dominance.

So, like any intelligent man, Crawford seemingly anticipated and chalked out a fine blueprint to make his pitch. Increasingly many believe that Bud Crawford, who moves up two divisions, may have the wherewithal to inflict a third career loss on the Mexican superstar. Crawford is not one to rest on his laurels. He will keep working hard to achieve the unthinkable at the Allegiant Stadium. But like any good general, Crawford knows. The most crushing defeat would be when his opponent’s fans cheer for him. And to achieve his objective, he made his first move.

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A post shared by Terence Bud Crawford (@tbudcrawford)

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Terence Crawford: A multi-front battle

On his Instagram post, urging Mexican fans to check out the limited edition ‘Viva Mexico’ TBC shirts, Terence Crawford wrote, “I have a special treat for all my Mexican fans!!!” The post featured images of four t-shirts in two sets of colors, black and white, having common logos and captions.

It’s not that Crawford will be the first fighter to reach out to the Mexican fans, supporting and screaming for Canelo. Back in 2007, when he faced Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather did a walk-in wearing a Mexican sombrero. But rather than enticing the Mexican fans or taunting De La Hoya, he did the cameo to pay homage to his uncle, the great Roger Mayweather, who once wore a black sombrero during the face-off against the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez.

Crawford knows that he faces a daunting task. Canelo may have received a rap on the knuckle for the William Scull fight. But he still presents a formidable challenge. Crawford will have to put in his all if he wants to score a historic win.

Let’s join the party!!

This fan was quite enthusiastic about the initiative. They said, “Definitely gonna grab 2.” Given the historic significance of the fight, merchandise such as the ones offered by Crawford and others is likely to become memorable collectibles.

A taunt followed. “Wonder if Canelo is making Omaha shirts 😂,” said this user. For those in the know, Canelo is already big-time on merchandise. A first-rate businessman, the undisputed champion has a dedicated website through which he offers a variety of products, including t-shirts, hats, jackets, hoodies, and accessories like sticker packs and headbands.

The Mayweather connection, nevertheless, made its mark. “Channeling his inner Floyd Mayweather,” said this fan. It’s amazing to see how, years ago, as a young boxer, Mayweather could understand and utilize cultural symbolisms to his advantage.

Of course, quite a few were gung-ho about Crawford defeating Canelo. Like this fan said, “Go get it and come back with it, Bud!” Though cognizant of the risks involved, many fans would love to see Crawford score a win in what could be the biggest fight of his career. He could become boxing’s first three-division undisputed champion among men.

But the ‘other side’ was equally prepared: “Canelo gonna boil that crawfish 👏.” The standard narrative persists. Crawford is entering the super middleweight king’s den. The Mexican knows his domain very well and hence remains an overwhelming favorite to win.

It’s great to see how a big fight starts catching up the crowd’s imagination, particularly when the stakeholders themselves get involved.

Whether Crawford’s new venture gains success, time alone will tell. But it deserves appreciation. Beyond pure economics, his attempt to reach out and gain the confidence of people as he proceeds to square off against their biggest icon is a template others could follow.