Eddie Hearn – “Canelo at 168 TOO MUCH for Crawford”
Boxing’s big promoter, Eddie Hearn recently made a bold statement regarding a potential matchup between super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford; declaring “Canelo at 168 TOO MUCH for Crawford”.
Hearn, Matchroom Boxing’s promoter, has managed many fighters in his career, and he knows about the differences between weight classes in Boxing. His statement suggests he believes Canelo Alvarez, at super middleweight, would overpower Terence Crawford should the two ever meet in the ring.
Crawford, the three-division world champion sporting an undefeated record, has long been considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He’s a slick, versatile boxer with exceptional technical skills and a solid punching power. However, he has fought primarily at welterweight (147 lbs) and has never moved up beyond the 154-pound junior middleweight limit throughout his pro career.
On the flip side, Canelo Alvarez, a four-division world champion, has moved up considerably in weight throughout his career. Starting as a junior middleweight, he moved up to middleweight where he had great success before bouncing up to super middleweight (168 lbs), and even venturing up to light heavyweight (175 lbs) for a brief period.
Eddie Hearn’s take on “Canelo at 168 TOO MUCH for Crawford” seems to be grounded in this material weight difference. The implication here is that the size, strength and stamina that Canelo brings with him to the 168-pound division would potentially be overwhelming for Crawford.
Also, the English promoter’s assertion could be an allusion to the level of competition each fighter has faced. Although Crawford has taken on many top-rated opponents in his weight classes, none have been quite on the level of Canelo, who has proven time and again that he can thrive against world-class competition.
It is important to note that Canelo’s increased size has not impacted his hand speed or punching prowess. In fact, Canelo has become even more powerful since moving up to super middleweight. His last outing against Callum Smith – a legitimate 168-pounder – clearly demonstrated this. Canelo dominated the fight, showing a potent mix of power, speed, and tactical brilliance to comfortably beat Smith and secure the WBA (Super) and The Ring super-middleweight titles.
However, there is a school of thought in boxing circles that skills triumph over size. Crawford’s prowess as a master boxer is without question. His record features 27 knockouts from 37 wins, which gives him a knockout percentage higher than that of Canelo, with 36 knockouts in 57 victories.
In conclusion, there’s no denying that a matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford would be a fascinating encounter. Both are widely recognized as two of the most gifted fighters of their generation, and a fight between them would be a huge draw.
But according to Eddie Hearn’s statement, does the size difference tip the balance in favor of Canelo? Or could Crawford’s transcendent skillset propel him to victory? These are the kinds of questions that only a bout between these two stellar fighters could definitively answer. Until then, the boxing world will continue to weigh up the prospect of this dream fight.
