Crawford comes into the bout in an unfamiliar spot. He’s put together an unbeaten career across multiple weight classes throughout his career.
Even as he’s made his way up the scale he has held a massive technical advantage. He’ll have to lean into that advantage on Saturday night, because the physicality will certainly favor the natural 168-pounder.
One advantage that he’ll look to utilize is the fact that Canelo has historically been a slow starter. Thus, Crawford is looking to get off to a hot start.
“I got to set the tone. You have to set the tone with Canelo — to let the judges know you’re putting rounds in the bank,” he told Mark Kriegel of ESPN. “That’s how I look at it: one round at a time. Don’t go in and try to get a knockout in the first round. Just put rounds in the bank. And make sure you’re winning those rounds decisively.”
Canelo might be the favorite, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking Crawford lightly. He comes into the bout with a lot of respect for his opponent and an understanding that his legacy is on the line.
“For me it’s a very important fight to win,” he said, per Wil Esco of Bad Left Hook. “So I have that combination for this fight, motivation and my discipline I ever had in my life, my whole career. So discipline with motivation, that two combined is very good.”
Motivation will be a key factor for Canelo. The 35-year-old is in his 68th pro fight which includes some absolute battles against Gennady Golovkin and Dmitry Bivol.
Alvarez has not had a knockout victory since 2021 and his volume has dropped off a little in recent fights. Turning back the clock a little bit will be key.
Ultimately, an in-shape and motivated Canelo’s pressure and power would be enough to overcome Crawford’s speed and technical prowess.
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