Aboxing coach revealed how he got racist abuse and hateful messages for picking Terence Crawford to beat Canelo Alvarez, should the pair agree to make a widely-expected and much-anticipated fight in 2025. But why did Stephen Edwards double down?
The 34-year-old is currently the unified super-middleweight champion and is regarded as the biggest name in boxing. The Mexican is also known for his pressure fighting, intelligent counter-punching and iron chin and that’s part of why he’s won 62 bouts and became champion in four divisions, challenging in five.
On the other hand is the 37-year-old Bud Crawford, who is also a four-weight champion and currently a unified light-middleweight champion. His switch-hitting and tactical intelligence has been highly praised, making him a tactically versatile fighter who has won 41 matches and has knocked out 31 rivals.
So the pair present an enticing clash for boxing experts and casual fans alike, which is part of why Saudi Arabia is so keen to make the punch-up happen, but it appears some are taking it too far as Edwards reveals he received a wave of abuse for backing the American to win the theoretically contest.
“I get more racist and hateful emails than you could imagine,” Edwards told media, as per BoxingScene.com. “Just because I picked Crawford to beat Canelo.
“Literal stalkers who try to bait me into posting their emails because they love to see their names on the internet. Straight losers, who claim they hate me and don’t value my opinion but read my mailbag every week. It’s the strangest obsession.
“What’s funny is all Canelo has to do is take the fight and prove me wrong. His fans should be upset with him, not me. Canelo‘s fans didn’t get upset with me when I picked him to beat Bivol and I was as wrong as two left shoes. It was one of the worst picks of my life, when I backed their guy to beat Bivol.
“It’s no shame in losing to Bivol, he proved himself to be a great fighter. But I also didn’t get one hateful email from any Russians claiming a conspiracy theory against them because I picked Canelo.”
Edwards doubles down
Despite the abuse, Edwards will not be bullied into backing the man from Guadalajara to beat the man from Omaha, should they actually meet in the ring at some stage in 2025 as he offers some strong words to the trolls in his inboxes.
“Canelo has a great IQ. And he has great eyes. He reportedly regularly beats up heavyweights in the gym. He knows that size is not everything,” Edwards added. “He also knows the trouble he had with Mayweather, Trout and Lara fighters who have similar body styles and traits of Bud Crawford.
“He can also see what Crawford is, even if you can’t. You guys can write in all you want. Call me all the names you want. Insult me all you want. I’m picking Terence “Bud” Crawford to beat Canelo Alvarez by close decision. No one is talking me off of my pick.”
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