2025 is shaping up to be a dream year for boxing fans. Canelo Alvarez has signed a massive four-fight deal with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, setting the stage for some truly spectacular bouts
First on the agenda is a May showdown against IBF super middleweight world championWilliam Scull, with all of Canelo’s belts on the line. But let’s face it, this is just the beginning. The real show will come in September, when the Mexican superstar is expected to face WBA super welterweight championTerence Crawford.
Crawford is not as small as people think
It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Not so much. The biggest challenge? The significant weight difference that Crawford will have to overcome to make this fight a reality. Crawford usually competes in the 154-pound division, but needs to move up 14 pounds for his next fight. ‘Bud’ is not too worried about the weight difference and feels he has the skills to challenge the Mexican
However, according to Joe Rogan, Crawford is not as small as people think. The UFC commentator recently invited Antonio Brown to his episode #2286 of his JRE podcast. Speaking to his guest, he made it clear that the 37-year-old boxer has plenty of time to gain significant weight.
During the conversation, Rogan made it clear that he is super excited about the matchup and said: “You know why I’m excited? Terence Crawford and Canelo. That’s the one.”
However, he then addressed one of the biggest concerns of most fans: the size difference between the two fighters. He said: “A lot of people think Terence is too small. He weighed in the other day and weighed 185 pounds. Well, he just won the 154-pound title, you know? Before that, he was fighting at welterweight, which is 147 pounds. But it’s not like he doesn’t have time to put on a little weight.”
A large portion of fans still believe that, despite Crawford’s undeniable skills, he would ultimately be just another name on the growing list of opponents conquered by Canelo. Much of this skepticism is due to the fact that 37-year-old Crawford is making a huge leap without the protection of a rehydration clause. History has shown that smaller fighters often struggle against naturally larger opponents. But Paulie Malignaggi doesn’t think so.
Paulie Malignaggi backs Terence Crawford
Former professional boxer and ProBox TV analyst Paulie Malignaggi, like most fans, is very excited about the matchup. He feels that the unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is a master in his own right
While the Mexican has a certain size advantage, Crawford will never be an easy fight, Malignaggi believes. In a recent interview with Fight Hype, ‘Magic Man‘ pointed out the areas in which ‘Bud‘ has a significant advantage over his opponent. He said: “At first I thought Crawford might be too small“.
However, he then clarified that in the end, it will all come down to the skills of both, where Crawford has a slight advantage. He said: “I think Crawford is a much more complete fighter than Canelo. The only risk here is Crawford’s small stature.”
Think about it, Roberto Duran was a former lightweight and eventually managed to beat Iran Barkley. It is worth remembering that when Roberto Duran faced Iran Barkley in 1989, the fight was very close, ending with a split decision victory for Duran, despite the fact that Barkley had already beaten Tommy Hearns.
That being said, as time goes on, more and more fans are beginning to believe that Terence Crawford has what it takes to dethrone Canelo Alvarez. Bold predictions about Canelo’s opponents are nothing new, but Crawford is a completely different beast. Do you think he has what it takes to pull off the upset?
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