Promoter Oscar De La Hoya says he respects Terence Crawford’s ambition of wanting to move up three weight classes to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez this year in a super-fight on Amazon PPV.
The wisened De La Hoya feels that Canelo’s (60-2-2, 39 KOs) pressure is difficult for fighters to withstand, and obviously, the 36-year-old Crawford would have to find a way to escape the powerful Mexican star’s line of fire.
Although Crawford looked great in his last fight against Errol Spence, he wasn’t dealing with a top of the line fighter like Canelo, who can punch holes through his opponents, and he’s an excellent counter-puncher.
Crawford’s Ambition and Skill
“It’s very ambitious, but that’s Crawford. Look, Crawford is a master. He’s a master performer,” said Oscar De La Hoya to the media, talking about welterweight champion Crawford wanting to move up three weight classes to challenger Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight championship this year in May or September without acclimated in the 168-lb division first against some of the top fighters.
We don’t know the true reason for Crawford wanting to jump up three weight classes to fight Canelo. Crawford and his trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre talk about wanting to face Canelo for legacy purposes, but it’s likely the real reason is for the payday.
In that respect, Crawford would follow Jermell Charlo’s path, moving up in weight for the retirement golden parachute cash-out.
Canelo’s Pressure and Power
“Crawford is a special fighter, but I just don’t know if he has the power to keep Canelo off,” said De La Hoya. “And that pressure Canelo keeps putting on you, after the sixth or seventh round, let me tell you, your legs will start going. Your head will start spinning. ‘What the hell am I doing here?’
The pressure that Canelo is going to put on Crawford will be unreal, forcing him to move around the ring like he’s done in the past, and making it boring for the fans that order the match on PPV.
Not an Easy Fight for Either
“It’ll be a tough fight, but it’s not one of those fights that Crawford can easily lose. Crawford is very skillful. He’s the top dog right now. He’s very skillful,” said De La Hoya, not completely ruling out a potential victory for Crawford over Canelo.
