By Jim Calfa: Oscar De La Hoya says Terence Crawford will make Canelo Alvarez resemble a child inside the ring at super middleweight if the two fight, particularly if it takes place at a 164-lb catchweight.
Oscar feels that Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) has footwork like “cement,” and he wouldn’t be able to deal with Crawford’s quick feet, height, and boxing skills, which are levels above the Mexican star.
De La Hoya admits that a fight between Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) and Canelo will depend on the outcome of Alvarez’s title defense against Jermell Charlo on September 30th.
If Canelo loses that fight, there would be no point in talking about Crawford fighting him. The match that people would want to see is Crawford and Charlo.
Some boxing fans believe De La Hoya can’t be objective regarding Canelo because he’s still bitter & grieving about him leaving Golden Boy Promotions.
Canelo was the flagship fighter for Golden Boy for many years, and he brought in a lot of money. Since Canelo has left the company, it’s been difficult for Golden Boy to find a replacement.
“Terence Crawford will beat Canelo any time,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV. “I said this before. ‘The good, talented man will always beat the small, talented fighter,’ But Terence Crawford is not small.
“Terrence Crawford is a big guy. He can walk around at 168 if he wants to. If this fight is made at 164, Terence Crawford all day. But just with the skill set alone, Terence Crawford is a master. He will make Canelo look like a child, and that’s just my boxing experience.
“Do I want Canelo to win? Yes. I promoted Canelo, and I want the best for him. I want the best for any fighter, but from a promoter’s view, from an expert’s view, from a fighter’s view, and don’t forget. It’s ten world titles in six divisions.
“From that perspective, Crawford will beat him [Canelo] in a master performance in a master class any given day. Talent alone. It’s talent alone,” said De La Hoya about why he thinks Crawford can move up three weight classes to beat Canelo at 168.
“But Crawford is a big guy. Crawford is taller than Canelo. Crawford can bulk up to Canelo’s size, but the difference is going to be the talent, the feet. Look at Canelo’s footwork. He’s walking on cement.
“Look at Crawford’s footwork. He coordinates it with his upper body. It’s just incredible. He knows how to keep the distance. It’ll be a no-brainer.
“Crawford can do that, but first of all, Canelo has Charlo to deal with. These are hypothetical match-ups. It would be historical,” said De La Hoya.
