DAZN commentator Chris Mannix has doubts whether the muscle that Terence Crawford has added to his wiry frame will slow him down like a ship’s anchor for his title challenge against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on September thirteenth.
A Yr of Bulking Up
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) has had a 12 months so as to add weight and train only for this fight against Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) on Netflix on the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Bulking as much as the mid-180s without testing out the load in an actual fight at super middleweight is putting Crawford in a difficult situation.
“Certainly one of the questions I even have for Bud going into this fight is once you get to round six and beyond. That extra muscle he’s carrying around. Is he still durable? Is he still fresh within the second half of the fight?” said commentator Chris Mannix to DAZN Boxing, questioning whether the load that Terence Crawford has packed on within the last 12 months will slow him down like an anchor for his title challenge against Canelo Alvarez.
Extra Weight, Less Speed
Carrying that extra weight will make Crawford slower. He’s not going to be faster carrying around an additional 20+ lbs. As Mannix points out, the muscle that Crawford has packed on could slow him, making him vulnerable to getting hit by Canelo, who’s accustomed to fighting on this division. Getting hit by Canelo could possibly be an uncomfortable experience for Crawford.
Even when Alvarez doesn’t knock him out, he could have problems winning rounds. The judges will deal with the fighter who’s landing the harder, cleaner shots, and that may be Canelo. Crawford didn’t show a rise in power in bulking up for his move as much as 154 against Israil Madrimov on August 3, 2024.
Canelo’s 12-round Stamina
“We all know Canelo can go 12 rounds and be great over 12 rounds. He’s done it time and time again,” said Mannix. “We all know Crawford can go deep into fights at smaller weights. Muscle is heavy. He’s going to be carrying that against a man that’s going to be quick, goes to be strong, and goes to be elite within the second half of the fight.”
The Close Madrimov Victory
Crawford looked slower and never as energetic in his last fight, moving up from 147 to 154 to tackle WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3, 2024. Terence ate numerous punches en path to winning an in depth 12-round unanimous decision, but it surely was a fight that he could have lost if Madrimov had been more aggressive within the championship rounds.
It wasn’t the type of performance that indicated that Crawford could be a lock to defeat the opposite top 154-pounders. He looked his age in that fight, and his power was not the identical.
“I assumed it was a really close fight. I assumed Madrimov won the fight, personally. I assumed he landed the cleaner shots and controlled the pace,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.
“There’s little question that Crawford goes to return into this fight looking like he’s in one of the best shape of his life. He looks physically spectacular. He’s placed on the load in the best way. And this is just not the case of a man having a few months to stand up to 168 kilos. He’s been preparing for this movement for the higher a part of a 12 months. He knew it was Canelo Alvarez or bust,” said Mannix.
Crawford has taken a complete 12 months to coach for this fight against Alvarez. Bud’s last fight was on May 3, 2024, against Israil Madrimov, and he knew then that Canelo was next. So, as a substitute of returning to the ring for fights, he selected to make use of the last 12 months to bulk up slowly.
Still, putting on numerous weight to fight within the 168-lb weight class without experience after a 12 months of inactivity is just not ideal for Crawford. He has chosen to leap in unexpectedly, somewhat than taking the gradual route that other fighters have.
The Leonard-Hagler Comparison
Fans and the media argue that Crawford can win because Sugar Ray Leonard already proved that a fighter can jump up weight divisions to fight a much bigger guy when he defeated then WBC and Ring middleweight champion Marvin Hagler by a controversial 12-round split decision on April 6, 1987.
Leonard was 30, not 37, pushing 38, like Crawford. Also, Leonard’s previous fight was at 154, and he moved up only one weight division, not two like Crawford. The end result of the Leonard-Hagler fight was removed from conclusive, as many boxing fans felt that Hagler had done enough to deserve the win. The judges’ scores were:
- 115–113 for Leonard
- 118–110 for Leonard
- 115–113 for Hagler
Last Updated on 08/28/2025