Canelo Alvarez Vs. Terence Crawford: A Twelve-Year Quest To Prove Evolution Since Mayweather Defeat

Canelo Alvarez says he wants to show the improvements he’s made in his game in the last twelve years against the Mayweather-esque Terence Crawford in September. Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) is still bitter about suffering his first loss in the pro ranks, losing a 12-round majority decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013.

Cracking the Code?

If Canelo can defeat Crawford, 37, he’ll have proven that he has learned from his loss to Floyd Jr. He’ll have cracked the code by beating Mayweather 2.0, albeit an older, less talented version of the old fox.

The then 23-year-old Canelo lacked the seasoning to defeat the wily, far more experienced 36-year-old Mayweather. He feels that if he had fought Floyd at a different time in his career, he’d have won.

Crawford has a Mayweather style, but with more power and slower hand speed. His style is reminiscent of the old legend, and it could pose problems for Canelo if he hasn’t evolved since that defeat. Although the Mexican star insists that he’s improved, he doesn’t look like he has.

He’s just gotten bigger, older, and calculated about choosing his opponents. For example, Canelo never fought David Benavidez or David Morrell. He’s fought weaker opposition like John Ryder, Jaime Munguia, and Edgar Berlanga.

“That’s the plan. That’s what they want, and everybody wants that fight, but in my mind, I need to take care of the May fight [William Scull], and then we’ll see. Who knows what happens?” said Canelo Alvarez to Ring Magazine when asked about a potential fight against Terence Crawford.  “I know what the people want, but I need to take care of that fight first.”

Canelo has been saying all along that he doesn’t want to look past his next fight Scull. He knows that it would be a mistake to assume he’s going to beat the talented Cuban, because he’s not a spring chicken anymore.

In Alvarez’s last two fights against Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia, he looked his age after gassing early. He looked like 24k gold through four rounds, but then slowed down dramatically after that. That’s why those two were able to go the full 12-round distance.

Canelo had them both on the carpet early, and looked like he was going to knock them with ease. The 34-year-old Canelo’s age caught up to him, preventing him from finishing Berlanga and Munguia. We’ll likely see the same thing in the Scull fight, but this guy has the talent to win rounds based on his technical skills that he learned growing up in Cuba, fighting top-notch competition daily.

“Different Now”

“Yeah, it could be. To show people I’m different now with the experience with the fighter I am today,” said Canelo on whether a fight against Crawford, who has a similar style to Floyd Mayweather Jr, would allow him to show that he’s evolved since his loss to him in 2013.

“I always think I need more years before I fought Mayweather. Things happen, and I learned a lot. I don’t blame myself because I learned a lot. But yeah, it’s an opportunity to show the kind of fighter I am right now,” said Canelo.