Canelo Alvarez is preparing for what could be the toughest fight of his career, but his comments in the lead-up have reignited old rivalries.
The undisputed super middleweight champion recently declared that Terence Crawford is a better fighter than Floyd Mayweather.
That comparison immediately sparked responses from boxing circles, especially those close to the 50-0 legend.
One of the first to weigh in was Jeff Mayweather, Floyd’s uncle and a former IBO super featherweight champion.
Speaking on his own platform, Jeff suggested Canelo‘s claim had more to do with hype than actual belief.
“Maybe he is,” Jeff said at first. “The one thing is this, you will always say that somebody that already beat you is better than the person that you’re fighting because you want to make yourself look like you’re going to beat somebody that’s better than everybody.”
To Jeff, the statement is a promotional tool, aimed at building anticipation for the September 13 showdown in Las Vegas.
Back in 2013, Canelo stepped into the ring against Mayweather and suffered a humbling loss.
Despite entering as one of the most promising young stars in boxing, the 23-year-old was thoroughly outboxed by Floyd, then 36.
Canelo has since claimed Mayweather was not in his prime.
But Jeff Mayweather quickly shut that down, saying, “You ain’t in your prime when you at 36. That’s not your prime. The prime is in your 20s.”
Mayweather’s legacy challenged
The comparison between Mayweather and Crawford did not end there.
Canelo also suggested that Crawford might be better defensively, and possibly even smarter in the ring. Jeff did not agree on the first point.
“Anybody know better fighter, but defense is not better than Floyd,” he said, defending his nephew’s mastery of the sweet science.
Mayweather made his name avoiding punishment, frustrating opponents, and making even elite fighters miss repeatedly.
When it came to intelligence, though, Jeff was more complimentary.
“I mean, yeah, he’s intelligent too. He’s just as intelligent as Floyd,” he said, giving Crawford credit for his ring IQ.
That intelligence will be key as Crawford attempts to jump up two weight classes with no rehydration clause to take on the naturally bigger Alvarez.
Still, Crawford remains confident.
“I can’t never say somebody is bigger and more powerful, if I never been in the ring with them,” Crawford said in a recent interview with Mail Sport Boxing.
He noted that he has dealt with physically larger opponents before and adjusted accordingly: “But come fight time, you see a big difference in my size, my power, my strength, and so forth.”
Crawford‘s adaptability may prove crucial. “Well, all that goes hand in hand,” he said, referring to his blend of speed, power, timing, and strategy.
“My style, I’m very powerful, explosive, strong. That’s why I have the ability to adapt to a lot of fighters because I can do so many things in the ring.”
He believes those tools will help him manage the challenge posed by Canelo, who struggled in a similar weight jump against Dmitry Bivol.
On paper, Crawford faces long odds. But with his intelligence, versatility, and unshakable mindset, he has more than a puncher’s chance to make history.
As the clock ticks toward September, the comparisons to Mayweather will only intensify.
If Crawford wins, the discussion about who truly deserves the crown may begin all over again.
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