By MARK ANDERSON and W.G. RAMIREZ AP Sports Writers
LAS VEGAS — Even in a city known for staging some of boxing’s greatest fights, the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford match stands nearly alone.
It will be the first fight at 5-year-old Allegiant Stadium, the Saturday night showdown underscoring the magnitude of an event that will have implications for both boxers trying to further strengthen their Hall of Fame-worthy careers.
Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 knockouts), as is typically the case when the Mexican great fights in his boxing home of Las Vegas, will have the vast majority of the crowd behind him as he defends his unified super middleweight championship. The 35-year-old is a -175 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook. That means a bettor would have to lay $175 to win $100 on Alvarez. A $100 wager on Crawford would pay $135.
“This fight for me is big,” Alvarez said. “It’s one of the biggest fights of my career for sure.”
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is moving up two weight classes, and the 37-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, already has captured two unified division titles. No male fighter has accomplished that feat in three classes.
“This is a massive fight,” Crawford said. “It’s talked about all over the world right now.”
It’s certainly a talking point in Las Vegas.
The city known as the “Fight Capital of the World” is used to hosting big-time matches, but there was no stadium like Allegiant to house some of the great bouts of the past.
Resorts such as Caesars Palace’s outdoor arena, The Mirage and Las Vegas Hilton hosted some of the more notable fights in the 1980s and 1990s before giving way to MGM Grand Garden Arena and then T-Mobile Arena.
Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010, has booked many of those matches, but he’s not involved with this one. UFC CEO and president Dana White and Riyadh Season are promoting this card.
“I think it’s right up there with the great fights in Las Vegas history,” Trampler said. “You’ve got two champions fighting. There’s a lot of storylines – Crawford moving up in weight, Canelo hoping to cement his legacy. But beyond all that, on paper it’s a tremendous matchup. It’s two contrasting styles, two contrasting fan bases. It’s got all the ingredients.”
Kevin Iole, who covered combat sports for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and then Yahoo! Sports, noted many other major fights in this city included star power in both corners.
Muhammad Ali fought Larry Holmes in 1980, Marvelous Marvin Hagler took on Thomas Hearns in 1985, Sugar Ray Leonard met Roberto Duran in 1989 and Mike Tyson faced Evander Holyfield in 1996 and 1997. More recently, Floyd Mayweather Jr. faced Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
“Crawford doesn’t reach the level of stardom,” Iole said. “He will if he wins, but going into this fight, he’s not as big as a Sugar Ray Leonard was. Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, even an Oscar De La Hoya, those guys were just bigger names. So when they had their biggest fights here, those guys were bigger because of their names.”
Alvarez is unquestionably the bigger draw, a point Crawford has conceded.
But even Alvarez finds himself fighting in a different era and in a different atmosphere than many previous champions.
“Yes, Canelo is the biggest star in boxing today, but boxing isn’t the same sport that it was in the 1980s,” Iole said. “So I think that mitigates it a little bit, but I would say without question, that this is one of the biggest fights in Las Vegas history.”
That is certainly true going into to the fight.
But the ultimate test is what happens in the ring. It could be a night that will be forgotten quickly or it could go down in history.
“There’s a reason there’s going to be 50,000 or 60,000 people there,” Trampler said. “That’s because everyone wants to see it. It’s going to be quite the event, the biggest one of the year in Las Vegas for sure.”
CANELO EMBRACES BEING FACE OF BOXING
It’s seemingly Alvarez’s world, and everyone else is simply living in it.
As the debate about who’s the best pound-for-pound fighter remains fervent, Alvarez has played the role of the face of boxing well leading up to Saturday’s bout.
The Mexican superstar, who has represented his country with pride and grace in a near 20-year career, strolled across the red carpet for Tuesday’s grand entrance, answered some questions, held an invite-only media availability that ended six questions in, and skipped Wednesday’s media day.
The ginger-haired, freckle-faced future Hall of Famer has notable wins over Shane Mosley, Amir Khan, Julio César Chávez Jr. and Gennady Golovkin.
Alvarez, who holds the distinction of being the first fighter in history to unify all four major titles at super middleweight, has never improvised or skimmed his way through 67 tales of the tape. He’s built his stature with nothing less than a hardcore work ethic and staunch discipline.
His legacy has been built brick by brick, or, belt by belt, on some of the biggest stages.
Saturday, the face of boxing faces his biggest test on the biggest stage.
Crawford presents a challenge Alvarez hasn’t seen in quite some time, quite possibly ever. That includes Alvarez’s first career defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013.
Alvarez has also never been knocked down in his professional career, and Crawford is someone who many believe has the power to introduce Canelo to the canvas.
As boisterous as Alvarez deservedly could be, considering his status and what he’s done to keep boxing relevant during a time mixed martial arts has surpassed the squared circle in popularity, he remained humble about the event.
“I’ve been in big fights, many big fights, but this fight especially is different,” Alvarez said. “You can see the magnitude of the fight.
“Everything around the fight, you can see how big it is. For me, it means a lot, this fight.”
Alvarez is fresh off a victory over William Scull on May 3, when he reclaimed his undisputed status at 168 pounds.
Crawford hasn’t fought since Aug. 4, 2024, when he defeated Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles. But it was the fight prior that reminded everyone Crawford’s name is still in the pound-for-pound conversation, when he knocked Errol Spence Jr. down in the second, twice in the seventh, and won by stoppage in the ninth.
The same confidence he took into the Spence fight is the same assurance and determination he’s bringing into what he’s called the biggest fight of his life, despite being the underdog.
“I’ve been told I’d never be where I am at now,” Crawford said. “I was told I need to get another job because I wasn’t going to be a world champion.
“I’m going to be victorious. And everybody is going to talk about it on Sunday.”
And why wouldn’t they, with a win over the guy considered to be the face of boxing, in what’s seemingly his world?
“I’m going to bring this fight to America because I think this kind of fight is (big),” Alvarez said. “I just want to tell the people to enjoy this fight because it’s huge.”
CRAWFORD KNOWS LEGACY AT STAKE
Crawford doesn’t need anyone to bolster his confidence or reinforce his swagger. He certainly doesn’t need another fight to accentuate his résumé.
If he retired today, Crawford would be considered one of the greatest fighters of this century.
But even he knows how much Saturday’s fight would mean to his legacy.
“Terence Crawford’s legacy, you know, pre-Canelo fight – he’s a Hall of Famer, first ballot, period,” Crawford said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. “Terence Crawford defeating Canelo Alvarez, I mean, he’s one of the all-time greats, period.
“(This is) the greatest of all the fights that I done fought. This is the one.”
Crawford spoke confidently about adding a third undisputed title when he takes on Alvarez at 168 pounds – 14 pounds heavier than the limit at junior middleweight, where Crawford is the champion.
Crawford, who has already unified titles at 140 and 147, said it’s undoubtedly a career-defining moment for both fighters.
“Canelo don’t want to lose to a guy moving up two weight classes,” Crawford said. “You know, he don’t want a smaller guy dethroning him from his undisputed status. Terence Crawford wants to move up and do all those things.
“He’s got a lot to lose, I got a lot to win. I got a lot to lose, he’s got a lot to win.”
Nothing new for Crawford, really, as he was in one of the biggest fights boxing had to offer two summers ago against Spence.
Though many felt it would be an evenly matched bout, Crawford, who was a slight favorite, quickly turned it into a one-sided match, knocking down Spence three times before registering a ninth-round stoppage.
The win made Crawford the undisputed welterweight champion and the first four-belt titlist at two weights.
Now, Crawford is the slim underdog.
In making the two-weight class jump, Crawford said it’s the right time with no other opponent worthy of his company in the ring at this point in his career.
“Who else would there be to make a mega fight with Terence Crawford, other than Canelo Alvarez?” Crawford said. “Who? Nobody at 47. Nobody at 54. Nobody at 60. Who else besides Canelo Alvarez?
“When you sit down there and you think of a mega fight – not a good fight, a mega fight – you say, ‘OK, who? What name could Terence Crawford fight to generate a mega fight?’”
The Omaha native’s impressive career has inspired Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule, who said Monday he wants his players to model themselves athletically after Crawford.
The Cornhuskers’ theme of the week: “Be Like Bud,” referencing the fighter’s nickname.
Crawford, who frequently attends Nebraska football games, said it’s only been during the latter stages of his career that he’s learned to appreciate the lessons he learned during the harder times of his life.
“All those hardships are what made the man that you see today,” Crawford said.
They helped him build an undefeated boxing career. Saturday night could further cement his legacy.
“It’s going to be great, especially looking back on it,” he said. “And for me, to capture that victory and that magnitude, it’s gonna be so good.”
CANELO VS. BENAVIDEZ?
Alvarez has been asked many times in recent years whether he would fight WBC interim light heavyweight champion David Benavidez.
He was asked again at Thursday’s news conference.
“I never say no to anything,” Alvarez said. “We’ll see later, but I’m 100% focused on this fight.”
NETFLIX AND NOT PPV
Those with a Netflix subscription can watch this fight rather than shell out $90 or $100 on pay-per-view, which could be more of the norm going forward.
This is White’s first foray into boxing and he doesn’t plan to make it his last. The UFC reached a seven-year deal with Paramount last month, going away from the PPV model and making its numbered cards available to those who subscribe to Paramount+.
OTHER FIGHTS OF NOTE
Callum Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) of Ireland meets Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-0, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas in the co-main event. Vargas Senior was an IBF, IBA and WBC super welterweight champion.
WBC interim super middleweight Christian Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) of France defends his belts against Lester Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) of Guatemala.