Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Terence Crawford meet in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
It could be a career-defining contest for two of the finest fighters of this generation.
This being big-time boxing, it could also be an evening laced with controversy.
Canelo has not scored a knockout in his past seven fights, with every one of those going the 12-round championship distance.
Crawford is more of a knockout specialist, with 31 stoppages in his unblemished 41-fight record. However, having first reigned at lightweight and spent the majority of his elite career at super lightweight and welterweight, he is stepping up two divisions and a stone in weight after a solitary outing at super welterweight to dethrone Israil Madrimov last year.
(Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing/Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions/Sporting News)
In short, it’s a huge ask for ‘Bud’ to bring his KO power up so far against a man who has never been down in his professional career.
If this one goes the distance, as expected, who are the three ringside judges who will have the sporting fate of both boxers in their hands.
MORE: Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford live fight updates
Who are the judges for Canelo vs. Crawford?
The three ringside judges for Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford will be Tim Cheatham, Steve Weisfeld and Max De Luca.
The trio of Nevada officials boast vast experience, having officiated 5,791 contests between them. Weisfeld, with more then three decades at ringside to call upon, accounts for 3,170 of those.
It amounts to what should be three safe pairs of hands for boxing’s biggest night of 2025, but there’s one factor that has caused collective concern among fans.
Who were the judges for Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios?
When Manny Pacquiao returned from a near-four-year ring absence in July 2025, few gave the eight-weight world champion a chance for his unearned shot at WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
However, the 46-year-old rolled back the years to put in a fine performance over the 12 rounds, with plenty of observers feeling Pacquiao had done enough to claim an improbable victory.
However, the judges returned a majority-draw verdict. The judges in question?
Tim Cheatham. Steve Weisfeld. Max De Luca.
Cheatham and Weisfeld each had the bout 114-114 even, while De Luca scored it 115-113 for Barrios.
Whatever happens at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, fans will hope the judges are not the story as they were when Pacquiao faced Barrios.
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