ESPN Staff
Sep 11, 2025, 07:48 AM ET
Terence Crawford is moving up two divisions Saturday to challenge Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight championship (9 p.m. ET, Netflix).
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) has won titles in four weight classes and has been undisputed champion at junior welterweight and welterweight. If he beats Canelo, he will become the first fighter in men's boxing to unify all four major belts in three divisions.
Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) defeated Caleb Plant by 11th-round TKO in November 2021 to become undisputed champion at 168 pounds. He made four successful defenses before the IBF stripped him for not fighting mandatory challenger William Scull and instead facing Edgar Berlanga last September. Canelo eventually fought Scull in May to regain the championship. All Canelo victories since stopping Plant have been by decision.
Can Crawford be successful in a higher division? Will he keep his speed and power and upset the favored Canelo? Or will Canelo be the first fighter to defeat Crawford, and can he knock him out?
We asked boxers, boxing insiders and trainers to share their thoughts on how the fight could play out and pick a winner. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight on the best bets for the fight.
What the experts have to say
Editor's note: Content has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Amir Khan, former junior welterweight champion; lost to Canelo and Crawford
How do Canelo and Crawford match up?
Canelo's power is very devastating, and with the combination of punches that he throws, he's still a lot faster than you think. A lot of people say, "Oh, he's slower." He's not. He's a powerful fighter.
Canelo's not really a fast starter, though. If you look at his last couple of fights, he's been boxing more. He just gets the win. He's not got that fire in him like he used to have where he had to prove a point, because he's proven he can knock people out. He's working on things and he's enjoying himself in there now, and he can't really do that against Crawford.
I'm the only guy that's ever shared the ring with both guys. Both hit hard, so this is a hard fight to call.
Who wins?
It's a great fight for the fans. If it comes down to being a boxer and moving around, I got Crawford destroying Canelo easily. Canelo has to dig deep and go back to how he used to fight back in the day against the likes of Floyd Mayweather and those guys where he doesn't give a damn and walks through you. But it's a 50-50 fight. I lean toward Crawford. Why? Because Crawford is the fresher fighter. Canelo has had too many tough fights.
Ray Beltran, former lightweight champion; lost to Crawford
What does Crawford have to do to beat Canelo?
When I fought Crawford, I put a lot of pressure on him. He was just so smart, keeping me just far enough away. He created enough distance to beat me. I don't think Canelo has that type of pressure; he's flat-footed now. I'm not comparing myself to Canelo at all, but based on past fights, I believe all Crawford has to do is stay on the outside, be smart, don't engage with Canelo because obviously he's too big for him and I don't think Crawford has the power to knock him out. Crawford must just be smart. And I believe that if he does that, it's going to win him the decision.
The reason I give Crawford a chance is because Canelo is not a big 168-pounder. I mean, Canelo has been fighting at that weight, but he's not a natural big guy. The question is how Crawford will adapt to the weight. If he adapts well enough to the size, I believe he can win. And another reason why I give Crawford a chance is because Canelo gets tired; he starts fading after six, seven rounds. If Crawford fights smart enough, I believe he's got the style -- an elusive style, not a one-dimensional style -- to beat Canelo. Don't engage with Canelo, be smart, win by points. I believe Crawford can pull it off.
It's not the jab. It is not the strength. It's not the power for Crawford. I have sparred with Amir Khan, Jorge Linares, who's super talented. I have sparred with Manny Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov -- all champions. But Crawford is special. He covers every angle. It's like a scanner. He reads you, then picks you apart. He just figures you out. To me, Crawford is a perfect fighter. He's just so good. That's why I can't see him losing.
What does Canelo have to do to beat Crawford?
Don't be too patient. He always fights very patiently. And don't be overconfident. Canelo must find a way to stay close to Crawford and beat him up to the body, beat up his arms and then break him down little by little. Canelo has the size, he's got the power and he has the strength to walk through Crawford's punches.
But Canelo looks flat-footed now. Don't get me wrong, he has good head movement, but he has to stay on point and take advantage of his size to close distance and cut off the ring. In his last fight against William Scull, Canelo didn't cut the ring. He won but his movement didn't work that well for him. Scull has the Cuban style that can move around you, but Canelo is the face of boxing and he should have shown it right there.
The fighters he has faced recently -- Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia, John Ryder -- they're not at the same level of skills and IQ of Crawford. Canelo has never faced a fighter like Crawford, aside from Mayweather. The others, they're big dudes, but they're more likely to stay in front of you. Crawford is not going to be like that. It's going to be like he's there but not there. Canelo must be able to cut off the ring and find him.
Who wins?
If they were the same size or close to the same size, no doubt Crawford would beat Canelo and make him look average. Crawford's that good. When he fought Errol Spence Jr., I said Crawford's going to beat him and he's going to make him look average. He's going to make it look easy, I said, and he did. I know Crawford, I was with him in the ring. So I know what I'm talking about. He's a predator, not prey. He's not one of those fighters that get intimidated. You have to knock him out.
I'm going with Crawford by decision.
Darrelle Valsaint, welterweight, Canelo's main sparring partner
I've never been in a camp with such a legendary fighter. So it was definitely a beautiful experience to see firsthand how a great prepares himself for such a big fight. We sparred a good amount of times to see how the fight could play out. I feel Canelo has the ability and experience to put on a very good, competitive fight with Crawford.
I don't have the same amount of experience Crawford has, but I definitely have a lot of experience in boxing. I have a very high fight IQ, so that was the No. 1 thing I brought to camp. My skills, me being a switch-hitter, is No. 1. My speed is No. 3, just my agility, my footwork, all that. It's kind of similar to Crawford a little bit, jumping in and out and the leading jab and all that.
How can Canelo beat Crawford?
I think Canelo just has to be Canelo to beat Crawford. Canelo is very strong. He got very, very good power. I felt that left hook to the body from Canelo. I felt it.
Against a guy like Crawford, you have to be in good positions at all times. Crawford is a very skilled fighter, so you have to be ready for whatever. Be patient.
How can Crawford beat Canelo?
Against a guy like Canelo, who comes forward and is a pressure fighter, I would look at his past fights and see who he lost to and try to duplicate that in my own way. To get inside, you have to give Canelo angles and keep him off balance.
Also, being a switch-hitter, if you know how to do it, it'll give you much success.
Who wins?
I'm in the middle of it, I can't choose. Crawford is one of my favorite fighters, and Canelo was also one of my favorite fighters coming up. May the best man win.
It's going to be a great fight, action-packed. Every shot thrown is going to be beautiful.
Edgar Berlanga Sr., manager and cornerman for Edgar Berlanga, who lost to Canelo
How does Crawford win?
I don't think Crawford has the power to KO Canelo. Dmitry Bivol, Sergey Kovalev, Gennadiy Golovkin, Edgar Berlanga or Jaime Munguia, they couldn't knock out Canelo. But Crawford is a well-disciplined fighter, and if he uses angles and good defense, he can counterattack because Crawford is going to be faster than Canelo.
Crawford must use angles, jab him, move away from Canelo, not stay there in front of him. And every time Canelo opens up -- because Canelo opens up a lot to throw his punches -- counterattack him fast, grab him, push him and play with his mind. When Canelo can't find you and hit you, he gets frustrated.
How does Canelo win?
You have to throw at Crawford, counterattack him, close the ring and try to smother him. You have to jump on him. You can't give him space.
Canelo has to land his left hand. Canelo's left hook is deadly, and when he throws it, it's fast and it's explosive -- to the head and to the body. And he also has to use the right uppercut.
Who wins?
I think Crawford can beat him by decision.
Holly Holm, former champion, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
How do Canelo and Crawford match up?
Both fighters carry impressive knockout percentages, but Canelo is naturally the bigger man, and that size advantage could play a role. Crawford, though, is smart. He wouldn't step into this fight without putting on the right kind of weight, building it in a healthy way to stay conditioned and competitive at a higher division.
How does Canelo win?
I think he'll look to put pressure on Crawford and use his power to push for a knockout.
How does Crawford win?
For Crawford, it'll be about skill, using his sharp boxing IQ and his ability to switch seamlessly between southpaw and orthodox, constantly keeping Canelo adjusting.
Who wins?
No matter who comes out on top, this fight is going to be electric. A treat for fans, and another great moment for the sport of boxing.
Parker's best bets for Canelo vs. Crawford
Currently, Canelo is the betting favorite at -180 according to ESPN BET, and that number holds tremendous value. As good as Crawford is and has been, I think jumping two weight classes to fight Canelo is going to be too much for him. Canelo is going to be able to muscle Crawford around and pick his spots while being able to absorb the power of Crawford with minimal issues. Both Canelo and Crawford are high-IQ fighters who don't take too many risks, so I expect this fight to go bell to bell. Unless Crawford lands something magical early on that Canelo can't recover from, look for Canelo to cruise his way to a decision victory.
Prediction: Canelo Alvarez.
More predictions:
1:05
Canelo & Crawford face off on the water in front of the Bellagio fountains
Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford face off in Las Vegas ahead of their undisputed super middleweight championship clash.
Mike Tyson, former heavyweight champion: Crawford by decision.
Timothy Bradley Jr., two-division champion, boxing commentator: Crawford by decision.
Shawn Porter, former welterweight champion, boxing commentator: Crawford by decision.
Christy Martin, former junior middleweight champion, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame: I think it will be a trilogy, but Crawford wins the first fight by decision.
Michael J. Fox, actor ("Back to the Future"): I think Crawford is going to win in the eighth round. He's going to use the first seven rounds to read his opponent, like he always does, to expose Canelo's tendencies. He will then take him out in the eighth by KO.
Rosie Perez, actor ("White Men Can't Jump"): Crawford. I am a big fan of Canelo, but I've been following Terence's career from the beginning, so I'm not gonna give up on him now. I know the weight could be an issue, but I'm still gonna stick with "Bud." He's faster, younger and, most importantly, meaner!
Sam Rockwell, actor ("Argylle"): I think it's going to be a great fight. I'm looking forward to it. Everyone's always been afraid of Crawford for a long time. It would be great to have him get his day in the sun because everyone used to be afraid to fight him. I am going to predict Crawford's going to win on points.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers point guard: I've been following Bud Crawford for a long time. I think his boxing skill speaks for itself. I've crossed paths with him between fights and he is not a "little guy," and he's a very strong guy on top of that, with a real wrestling background. I think his strength could be a surprise in this fight. I love Canelo as a fighter as well and he's a legend but I think Crawford is the hungrier fighter in this situation and he's a very mean fighter -- and super competitive. Canelo is not new to this stage but I fully expect Bud to rise to the occasion and win the fight.
John Leguizamo, actor ("Ice Age"): I'm with Canelo 100%. The kid's got style, skills and heart. You can't teach heart. So put my money on Canelo all the way!
Anthony Ramos, actor ("Hamilton"): I think Canelo is going to win. Although Crawford's reach, ring IQ and endurance is some of the best we've ever seen, I think Canelo will find a way to pull this out.
Ramon Rodriguez, actor ("Will Trent"): Crawford by decision.
Nelson Lee, actor ("Stargirl"): I think Canelo wins this fight. Moving up two weight classes will be tough on Crawford. But I think it'll be a great fight and go the distance. Might even be a split decision for Canelo.
Michael Mosley, actor ("Ozark"): I kinda think Canelo is gonna take it. But what a great fight. I want Crawford to win, but I think he has to get a lot right here and Canelo has to be right just once.
Said Taghmaoui, actor ("John Wick"): Crawford is a very special fighter. Styles make fights, and both men are coming up from lower weight divisions. If there's one guy who can pull it off, it's Crawford because at the end of the day, skills pay the bills.
Cris Cyborg, boxer and MMA fighter: I love the way Crawford fights. I love Canelo, too -- he's a legend in the sport. I don't know who's going to win, but Crawford has very good defense and Canelo is a very smart fighter. I think it'll be a tough fight. Maybe Canelo can win on points?
Big E, WWE wrestler: Despite being the naturally smaller man coming up in weight, Bud will be unafraid to work on the inside. I think he will be able to carry his ferocious punching power with him to 168. Crawford wins a close decision. Seven rounds to five.
Damian Priest, WWE wrestler: As smart, fast and great of a fighter as Crawford is, he's moving up two weight classes to face a natural super middleweight. Canelo's experience in that weight, his power and ability to wear down fighters is what I think makes the difference. I got Canelo by split decision.
