Canelo vs. Crawford is one of the biggest fights of the year, not only because it’s a clash for undisputed championship status. Nor is it solely because it’s a massive challenge for Terence, who is moving up two weight classes. It’s also a high-quality clash of styles and a fight for boxing purists.

This time, I’d like to focus less on what the boxers can do and more on what that means for their opponent. The fact is, both fighters can do almost everything in the ring. This allows us to look at the matchup from a slightly different angle.

What Can Canelo Offer Crawford?

First and foremost, a high-quality boxing matchup. When people talk solely about the Mexican’s size, they often fail to mention that Saul is an exceptional boxer. Athletic, intelligent, skilled at cutting off his opponent’s angles and creating his own for attacks. Alvarez can lead the fight as the aggressor and is equally adept at counterpunching.

Second, physicality. Canelo has long been established in the super middleweight division, holding all the titles here and even moving up to light heavyweight, where he became a champion. Crawford is a physically strong boxer, so not every opponent can challenge him in a physical battle.

What Can Crawford Offer Alvarez?

An opponent as intelligent as one could imagine. Terence’s greatest asset isn’t his speed or any other physical attribute. Crawford is an exceptionally smart boxer. He can switch between stances, control the pace of the fight, and land punches just as his opponent begins their attack. He can fight as the second number, take the lead, and always dictate the terms. It’s been a long time since Saul faced an opponent who operates with such intelligence.

The second, perhaps surprising, factor is power. Crawford is a strong boxer. He carries enough natural weight to potentially succeed in the super middleweight division, where he’s never fought before. He’s skilled at clinch work and has dominated most opponents partly due to his physicality.

This, combined with his intelligence, creates potentially serious problems.

Crawford is a highly experienced boxer who has faced only top-tier opposition and defeated them all. However, Canelo’s record still looks more impressive. It includes three fights with Golovkin, a bout with Floyd Mayweather, and ventures into light heavyweight against Kovalev and Bivol.

That said, Saul is younger. Alvarez is 35, while Crawford is 37. Realistically, it’s unlikely Terence plans to box for another 8–10 years. This could be one of his final, if not the last, fights of his career.

Looking solely at their most recent bouts, Crawford throws more punches.

For comparison, in their latest fights: Crawford’s most active round against Madrimov was the eleventh, with 59 punches thrown and 14 landing. Canelo’s most active round against Scull was the ninth, with 27 punches thrown and 7 landing.

The last time Saul was as active as Terence was against John Ryder in 2023. The Brit forced Alvarez to work hard, and his most active round, 9, saw 55 punches thrown with 14 landing.

Recently, Alvarez has been more calculated and less active in the ring. He focuses on powerful shots, regardless of whether his opponent is in a tight defense—Saul expertly breaks down his rival’s guard with punches, making it increasingly difficult for them to protect themselves as the fight progresses. But that doesn’t mean Canelo can operate the same way against Crawford.

If Terence senses the need to control distance and tempo, the Mexican will have to step up and chase his opponent. Crawford isn’t just more active; he’s also extremely accurate, which could lead to a significant points deficit for Canelo as the rounds pile up.

This is not Crawford’s strongest suit. Alvarez typically fights twice a year. In 2024, he faced Munguia and Berlanga. In 2025, he fought Scull, securing the undisputed super middleweight title by taking the IBF belt.

Crawford’s last fight was in August 2024, meaning over a year will have passed by the time of this bout. Before that, he had nearly a year’s break, with his fight against Spence happening in mid-2023.

But that’s not the main issue. The key point is that Alvarez has long been a super middleweight fighter, while Crawford is debuting in this weight class against its leader. No matter how many sparring sessions Terence has had, it’s unclear whether he’s reached his peak and adjusted to this new fighting weight.

There’s been a lot of talk about Saul’s punching power leading up to this fight. Yes, as mentioned earlier, Alvarez is accustomed to this weight class. However, the last time the Mexican scored a stoppage was against Caleb Plant in 2021. It’s not that Alvarez has lost power; rather, claims that he only needs one punch to win are slightly exaggerated.

Crawford also hits hard—not much weaker than Canelo. But this was in lighter divisions, where he dominated partly due to his strength. He couldn’t shake Madrimov, though Israil is, of course, a stylistically different fighter from Alvarez. How Terence’s power will translate to this new division is a mystery.

The American might hit even harder, which would pose a problem. Or he could lose speed and, consequently, effectiveness. Since we haven’t seen him at super middleweight, only the fight will provide a clear answer.

Both fighters are rock-solid in this regard. Alvarez has one of the toughest chins in modern boxing. The last time he was shaken by punches was as a young prospect. He’s taken shots from the devastating Golovkin and competed against much larger opponents in light heavyweight with ease.

Crawford holds up well, too. His defense isn’t flawless, but his chin is reliable. Terence has withstood every punch thrown by his opposition, including Errol Spence, whose power was heavily hyped before their fight.

However, Terence hasn’t been hit at super middleweight. More importantly, he hasn’t been hit as precisely as Alvarez can. Saul can sap an opponent’s strength, targeting muscles to make their arms drop, then finishing them off. This is undoubtedly the most dangerous challenge of the American’s career.

For the first time, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will host a boxing event. Accordingly, both Alvarez and Crawford will be fighting there for the first time.

Leading up to the fight, some suggest Terence won’t get the nod if the scorecards are close. But this claim is questionable.

This is a clash of two stars. The American will be fighting in the U.S., and Alvarez primarily fights in the U.S. as well. We can expect fair, objective scoring without any behind-the-scenes games.

For Alvarez, this fight is a risky one. Once, when explaining why he wouldn’t face Crawford, Saul put it simply: a win wouldn’t add much to his legacy since he’d be beating a fighter moving up two weight classes, but a loss would hurt his resume for the same reason.

The Mexican often talks about the level of his opposition, claiming he’s only fought top-tier fighters while Crawford hasn’t faced the elite. But Saul knows the caliber of his opponent and that he must take him seriously. At least, one hopes so. Otherwise, the American could outclass even the heavier opponent.

For Crawford, this is a fight for history. A win would elevate him significantly in discussions about the greatest boxers of all time. It might not make him the absolute best, but it would definitively end debates about the quality of his opposition.

That’s why Terence is preparing for this as the ultimate test of his career. And it undoubtedly will be. His last fight raised questions among American fans about whether he can handle any weight class, as Madrimov posed plenty of problems.

The answer to that question will directly impact Crawford’s legacy as a boxer in historical perspective.