Hearn Worries For Crawford In A Canelo Fight – ‘The Weight Is Too Much’
Eddie Hearn does not expect Terence Crawford to beat Canelo Alvarez if they face off in the ring.
Crawford takes on Israil Madrimov on Saturday for his first fight at 154 pounds, as he hopes to pick up the WBA belt. Madrimov is a much bigger 154-pounder, which will test Crawford’s skills. Bud stopped all his opponents at 147, including Errol Spence Jr., in his last fight to become the first Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the four-belt era.
Crawford Vs. Canelo
Spence was seen as the much bigger fighter, but Bud neutralized him in a dominant performance with three knockdowns. If he can do that against Madrimov, Crawford may chase the Canelo fight at 168.
However, Hearn has expressed several worries about that. Crawford is originally coming up from 135 pounds to take on a well-established 168-pounder. To keep Canelo at bay, Crawford will need enough power to stop the Mexican from walking him down.
Crawford must also be able to take a shot at 168, which remains to be seen. There is also the question of Canelo coming in much heavier once he has rehydrated, which puts him at light heavyweight or beyond. Bud’s speed and ability to move around is one of his key weapons. However, there is an argument that this would be compromised with the added weight.
Former Undisputed Junior Middleweight Champion Jermell Charlo moved up two weight classes to fight Canelo last year. However, he could not make a meaningful impression as Canelo walked him down easily. While Charlo made it to the final bell, he was fighting in survival mode for most of the fight. Hearn cannot see how Crawford beats Canelo.
Hearn Reacts
“I don’t think Crawford beats Canelo because the weights too much. You’re not just talking about 168 pounds. You’re talking about a guy that is going to be 185 in the ring. It’s a strange fight, but obviously it’s a fantasy fight. Sometimes, these fights get made.
“I’m not sure that will get made. I don’t think Canelo is mad about that fight. I think he feels like, ‘What do I get out of beating a 147 guy or 154? No one is going to give me the credit.’ He’d take any fight if the business is right. I guess he has his ideas of what he should be making in that fight, and if His Excellency can meet that, he’ll take it. If he can’t or if he doesn’t want to, then he’ll probably not make the fight,” Hearn said
Both of Canelo’s losses were against boxers who could move and punish him with enough power. Floyd Mayweather dominated Canelo, who was in the early parts of his career, by picking him off and avoiding Alvarez’s power shots. However, there was an argument that Canelo lacked experience, as that was his first big fight.
In the Bivol fight, Dmitry was able to outbox Canelo for the whole fight. He landed numerous combinations and backed up Canelo while staying out of range. But Alvarez revealed he had a hand issue, which impacted him during the fight. The rematch never happened, but there is a blueprint for how to beat Canelo. Unlike Crawford, who is 40-0 with 31 KOs, Canelo must become the first man to topple the American.
Comments
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
