Callum Smith doubts Terence Crawford will be able to handle the size of Canelo Alvarez when he moves up two divisions to fight him in September at super middleweight.
Crawford too small?
Light heavyweight Smith, who shared the ring with Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) when he competed at 168, points out that Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) started his career in the lower categories at 135. So, move moving up two weight classes from 154 to fight Canelo at 168 is “tough question” in terms of size.
Smith isn’t completely counting out the 37-year-old Crawford, noting that Canelo is starting to show signs of age, but still feels it will be tough for the Nebraska native.
Crawford hasn’t fought at super middleweight, struggled to move up to 154 against Israil Madrimov, and will be coming off a one-year layoff from the ring if the fight with Canelo happens in September. If he is, he will be out of the ring for 13 months.
“It’s a great fight, both are pound-for-pound stars and exceptional. It will be interesting to see how the weight affects Crawford moving (up to 168),” Callum Smith said. Professional boxing fanstalking about a possible Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford match in September.
“Like we saw with (former undisputed 154 lb. champion Jermell) Charlo. He’s a very good fighter, but he couldn’t handle him (Canelo). Gaining weight is fine, but there is natural size, and Crawford comes from the lower weights.
“He is a world champion in four categories. So going up two more to fight the likes of Canelo will be a tall order, but as we saw with (undisputed light heavyweight champion Arturo) Beterbiev (in his recent close fight against Dmitri Bivolo), Canelo doesn’t get was younger.
Spence Win A Fluke
Crawford was at his best at 135 and 140 when he had a size advantage over less-than-stellar opponents in those weight classes when he fought in them. At 147, Budd was slower and easier to hit, and it took a car wreck wrecked, inactive, injury-ridden and exhausted Errol Spence to make Crawford look good.
Before that, he didn’t look impressive in fights against David Avanesian, Jose Benavides Jr. and Jeff Horn in the welterweight division. He looked like an average fighter, better than those low quality guys, but not a super talent.
It’s interesting how much attention was given to Terence’s win over Spence. The fans suddenly thought he was a fun knockout artist and that he fought like this his whole career.
Crawford didn’t look or fight like that during his career. If fans had watched his entire career, as I have, they would have seen that he was a Shakur-esque mover and counter-puncher, and that his knockouts were against older fighters.
Crawford’s recent knockouts
Errol Spence: 34
David Avanesyan: 35
Sean Porter: 34
Kell Brook: 34
Aamir Khan: 34
“He had a difficult career, he had injuries and the like. As a boxing fan, I enjoy seeing these types of fights. Now, as a fan, I sit back and watch. I’m looking forward to it,” Smith said of the Canelo vs. Crawford fight.
Canelo is slowing down at 34 and is not the fighter he was four years ago, in 2021, when he won the undisputed super middleweight championship against Cullen Plant. However, he is much bigger and stronger and naturally weighs 168 pounds.
He is also four years younger than Crawford, who turns 38 in September and has a poor performance against Israil Madrimov in his debut at 154 on August 3, 2024.
