Canelo vs Crawford WBC special fight preview

Canelo vs Crawford - 'The One and Only'

By James Blears

In a Round table discussion, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh revealed a thought-evoking epithet, to describe and then dub the Canelo vs Crawford epic encounter as: 'The One and Only'.

But… to make it a modern classic and for it to be comparably noteworthy to the likes of Leonard vs Hearns 1 and Leonard vs Hagler, another catchy title might be added: 'It Takes Two', because 'It takes two to make a dream come true!'

The megafight is on September 13 at the 65,000-seater Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and it's for Canelo's undisputed super-middleweight crown.

'Bud' is beefing up two divisions to meet this career-defining challenge. Without mincing words, there is a lot at stake!

Sticking to this carnivorous theme for just a moment longer and harking back to a more raw, rough, ready and rare Boxing Frontier Era, in 1906, 'The Old Master' Joe Gans successfully defended his world lightweight title in a bruising 42 rounds slugfest against Oscar 'Battling' Nelson, in Goldfield, Nevada, establishing the State as a fledgling future mecca of boxing.

According to the Reno Evening Gazette, Joe Gan's mother sent him a telegram which read: "Joe. The eyes of the world are on you. Everybody says you ought to win. Peter Jackson will tell me the news. BRING HOME THE BACON." And so he did, as Nelson was disqualified for a low blow.

Here and now, this latter day yet almost biblical blockbuster isn't a David vs Goliath, as Terence has considerably and discernibly more in his arsenal than just a slingshot nestling a small, round pebble.

Reputedly the richest fight ever, with Canelo pocketing way over $100 million, according to His Excellency, plus there's apparently a six-figure bonus incentive for a KO, to add some added sugar and spice.

It's widely rumoured that Canelo will take home a basic pay of $150 million, and Bud will earn a cool $50 million. It's part of a four-fight deal between Canelo and Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority for The Riyadh Season, which will exceed $400 million.

A jealous man might raise or even arch an eyebrow at the eye-watering sums involved, but, that capricious bat of an eyelid doesn't involve eyes wide open, throwing back the silk sheets at 5am, pre-dawn, to hit the road, and work like a Trojan for six days a week, training camps full of sacrifice and loneliness, and deny apple pie and sweet treats in order to gain just desserts.

In his wonderful book, 'The Moon's a Balloon', David Niven writes that a woman was outraged that movie idol Ronald Coleman was being bought a luxury car for just a few supposedly idle minutes of work on the silver screen, in a so called cameo part; to which Ronnie not unreasonably insisted that, actually, it was for decades of work under the glare of the limelight.

The ingredients for this fight will blend power, speed and agility, plus decades of triumphs. Each of these combatants have been world champions for well over a decade and have conquered four weight classes each.

Although Canelo is the stronger and more robust, he's slightly shorter and a tad stouter than Terence. His reach doesn't extend as far. While Canelo stands five feet seven and a half inches tall and has a 70-inch reach, Crawford is half an inch taller and his reach extends four inches further.

The Mexican started his pro career in 2005 at the tender ago of 15.  Terence was 20 when he first fought as a pro in 2008.

Canelo, now aged 35, has built a record of 63-2-2, 39 KOs, amassing 520 rounds. He has yet to hit the big four-0 of stoppages, but is just a whisker away. While Crawford, who is two years older at 37, has crafted an undefeated record of 41-0, 31 KO's over 245 rounds.

 

Canelo lost to a more mature Floyd Mayweather Jr, solved some tricky problems against slick moving and laser jabbing Erislandy Lara, and was defeated by bigger and taller, rangier Dmitry Bivol, visibly tiring down the stretch.

Yet he has an iron chin, copper whiskers, and has never been knocked down, let alone knocked out. He's won world titles in four weight categories and is twice undisputed super-middleweight champion, the only one in a four-belt era.

Crawford, too, has won titles in four weight divisions and been undisputed in two - the first man to ever achieve the feat in a four-belt era. He's now going for the Triple Crown, which would further make sporting history.

Both men are unstintingly and unwaveringly loyal to their teams. Chepo and Eddy Reynoso have been with Canelo since the word go; and Brian 'Bomac' McIntyre and Esau Dieguez, then joined by Jamie Belt have been around a long time too. Continuity and consistency clearly yielding dividends.

Nebraskan Crawford is naturally right-handed, yet he fights as a southpaw, although he can adeptly, adroitly and seamlessly switch to conventional, which is exceedingly rare. He's a superb counter puncher, has a radar sense for opportune openings and awkward angles, and is defensively sound, slipping punches, using the shoulder roll, judging angles like Pythagoras and parrying brilliantly. His full name is Terence Allan Crawford.  His initials placed backwards spell cat. His reflexes are like that of a feline, while Canelo's determination must be dogged.

Canelo who is best at short range, is canny when utilising the feint, a fearsome body puncher and pummels the arms, switching to the head, with eye watering hooks, overhead rights and uppercuts. To apply effective and sustained pressure, Canelo needs to abandon plodding, so use quicker footsteps, rejuvenate, speed up, pursue, hunt down and throw clusters of punches, backing and trapping his man on the ropes, while maintaining his concentrated icy calm.

For his part, Crawford needs to impart guile to dodge impact, stay sharp, focused and elusive, moving in and then departing PDQ. He must stick and move, rather than stick around against a more powerful, heavier handed opponent. He's never felt the impact weight of a super-middleweight Saul punch ever before and when he does, it will surely prove the acid test.

Jermell Charlo also moved up two weights to face Canelo, dropped hard by a right hook and then a follow up right uppercut in the seventh, then being obliged to go into survival mode to last the distance. Crawford would do well to learn from this painful and seminal lesson, applying to another.

Canelo has fought seven bouts without stopping an opponent, but he's knocked them all down. He has recently dropped Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia, Jermell Charlo and John Ryder. But we have to delve back to Caleb Plant in 2021 as his most recent KO.  Eddy Reynoso is vowing that will change, pledging: "We're going to knock him out. I promise!"

The previous fight of Canelo to regain the missing IBF piece to complete the puzzle was a catch me if you can yawnfest, against elusive and infuriatingly hesitant to engage, skittish William Scull.

Last time out, Crawford dominated Israel Madrimov to win the WBA super-welterweight title, but in moving up in weight, his clips of punches lacked their usual crisp, pep, snap, crackle and pop.

So, both Canelo and Bud had an off night to set up the biggest fight of their lives.

Canelo's career peak was emerging triumphant over the trilogy with Triple G. While Crawford's finest hour was overwhelming and dispatching Errol Spence for the iron-clad Undisputed welterweight mantle.

For 'The One and Only' to be truly great, both Saul and Terence must fight to their maximum capacity to justify the big dough laid out for this sweet treat. Power vs guile. It has to be Spike against Tom, not Tom and Jerry!

Terence Crawford idolises Sugar Ray Robinson, who was welterweight and middleweight champion of the world and so nearly won the light heavyweight title in 1952, but in his only career stoppage spanning 201 fights, Ray succumbed to heat exhaustion when fighting champion Joey Maxim. In a sweltering heatwave, which cloyingly wrapped itself around the Yankee Stadium, transforming it into a baking oven. Referee Ruby Goldstein was frazzled by the 10th and had to be replaced by another official in Ray Miller. A country mile ahead on points, Ray, who was also overcome by the extreme heat, had to call it a day after 13 rounds. So near, but so far: 'The burnt- out end of smoky days', and perhaps a prelude?

In fighting Canelo, Crawford shouldn't try to match his power. An unwise reprise, as just one momentary lapse, could wincingly and instantly seal his fate. Unlikely in that instance and scenario, he'd get the chance to recover and regroup as Sugar Ray Leonard did against Donny Lalonde.

Prior to the fight, both Canelo and Crawford have thrown some sticks and stones. Canelo graciously proffered: "Crawford is one of the best out there. I like to share the ring with that kind of fighter. It's my pleasure."

Crawford didn't exactly reciprocate. With a brickbat response, he said it's his Mount Rushmore and the landslide rubble will transform Canelo into a nobody, to which Canelo tartly retorted that it'll be the American's very last fight.

Words are one thing, while actions speak volumes… and louder.  The Philosopher Rene Descartes wrote: "To know what people think, pay attention to what they do, rather than what they say."

Long-time Editor of the Daily Telegraph in Old London Town, Bill Deedes, put it even more succinctly, by laconically insisting: ‘’DEEDES not words.’’

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WBC Top 10 Super-Middleweight Champions

1. Ray Leonard (US)
2. Joe Calzaghe (GB)
3. Nigel Benn (GB)
4. Andre Ward (US)
5. Markus Beyer (Germany)
6. Carl Froch (GB)
7. Mikkel Kessler (Denmark)
8. Robin Reid (GB)
9. Danny Green (Australia)
10. Eric Lucas (Canada)