Crawford’s Immense Task: Overcoming Size, Age, And Inactivity To Challenge Canelo, De La Hoya Remains Doubtful

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya doubts Terence Crawford will be able to defeat unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez when he moves up two divisions to challenge him for his belts on September 13th. De La Hoya states that a “good little man” has “never beat a good big man.”

(Credit: Melanie Pizano/Matchroom)

Fighters who have beaten bigger guys:

• Sugar Ray Robinson
• Roy Jones Jr.
• Sugar Ray Leonard
• Manny Pacquiao

Too Big a Leap?

It’s tough for Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to accomplish that feat because he’ll essentially be moving up three weight classes after a lackluster performance in his debut at 154 last August against Israil Madrimov. That fight was close enough to be a draw, but the judges gave it to Crawford, and you can understand why. He was the A-side.

Crawford’s reluctance to fight at 160 or 168 to stay busy and prove himself is another reason he’s not going to beat Canelo. Terence obviously sparred with fighters in those weight classes and knows it would be a bad idea for him to compete against one of those killers before getting his big mega-million fight against Canelo.

“I’ve been in this game for such a long time, and I like to say I’m a historian. There’s never been a good little man that beats a good big man. It hasn’t happened,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Fighthype when asked about his thoughts on whether Terence Crawford can move up two weight classes to defeat Canelo Alvarez at super middleweight.

“The exception is maybe Pacquiao beating me, but that situation was totally different. I was at the end of my career, I was a shot fighter, and Pacquiao was coming up, and he beat me. But a good little man, which is Crawford, has never beat a good big man, which would be Canelo in the history of the sport.”

Crawford’s Age

Obviously, numerous fighters have moved up multiple divisions to defeat bigger fighters in the past. What makes Crawford’s task more problematic for him is his advanced age, inactivity, and lack of punching power. Bud will be 38 in September; he looks it. Moreover, Crawford has only been fighting once a year since 2020 and will be coming off a 13-month layoff.

A fighter can get away with that kind of inactivity when they’re younger or fighting lesser opposition, but when they get older and they move up and fight someone good, they lose. Maybe Crawford doesn’t care if he gets beaten. He’s been upfront about one of the reasons why he wants to fight Alvarez so badly. It’s the money.

The Nebraska native Crawford can’t make anywhere near the same kind of dough fighting at 154, and some guys in that weight class would knock chips off him. Guys like Bakhram Murtazaliev, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Sebastian Fundora, and Serhii Bohachuk would age Crawford. If he’s only fighting once a year, he’d never get around to fight even half of those guys before he’s beaten into retirement.

“If Crawford can do it, give this man the title of ‘the greatest ever.’ That’s probably the motivation for Crawford and his trainer. ‘Look, if you can beat Canelo, you can go down as one of the historical best fighters on the planet.’ That’s enough motivation for any fighter. I just don’t see it as a fighter.

“Canelo is a big puncher. Yeah, he walks on quicksand, and that’s one thing that Crawford can use against him. The pressure of a heavier guy. Canelo will be 200 pounds up in that ring. So, it’s a tough fight, but I give all the credit to Crawford if he pulls that one off,” said De La Hoya.

Shopworn Canelo?

De La Hoya is going overboard with what Crawford would accomplish if he were to beat the soon-to-be 35-year-old Canelo Alvarez. Terence wouldn’t be the “greatest ever” if he defeated Canelo because the Mexican star has been fading for the last three years and hasn’t taken a tough fight since 2022.

If Crawford beats this faded version of Canelo, he’d have only beaten a shopworn guy that would have likely lost many times if he’d fought the top 168-pounders instead of avoiding them. Canelo has swerved former super middleweights David Benavidez and David Morrell, and he’s clearly avoiding the top 168-lb contenders now.

A victory for Crawford against Alvarez would only prove what knowledgeable boxing fans already know: Canelo is over the hill. That’s why he doesn’t want to fight the true killers at 168 and why he avoided Benavidez and Morrell when they were in the division.