Canelo Alvarez made a wise move.
The undisputed 168-pound champion has dismissed talk of a meeting with 147-pound champ and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, who was rumored to be a potential opponent.
Alvarez was asked during an interview with Box Azteca whether Crawford was a viable option.
“No,” Canelo responded. “… I have everything to lose and nothing to gain because if I win, they’ll say, ‘Oh, he was too small, and everything.’”
He’s right. Alvarez was criticized when he fought respected 154-pound champ Jermell Charlo, who moved up two divisions for his one-sided decision loss in September.
Crawford would be moving up three weight classes, which many would perceive as a bridge too far even for a fighter of Crawford’s ability.
There’s no doubt that persistent critics would pounce on the day of the fight announcement and never let up, even long after the fact. “That’s it. They love it,” Alvarez said.
And what if he loses to Crawford?
First, a Crawford victory is a realistic possibility even though he would be the underdog. He’s a better all-around fighter than Alvarez. And, more often than not, the better fighter wins.
Alvarez’s size advantage would be significant, perhaps too significant for Crawford to overcome. No one would be surprised by an Alvarez victory.
I would probably pick Alvarez to win that fight but it’s only about a 55-45 fight in his advantage, in my estimation. That means it would essentially be a toss up.
The point is that great fighters like Crawford sometimes do great things. Consider what Ray Leonard did against Marvin Hagler in their 1987 super fight between two future Hall of Famers. “Sugar Ray” made history by outpointing his much bigger rival even though he was coming off a three-year layoff.
I don’t think Alvarez believes for a second that Crawford would defeat him. Boxers in general don’t think that way. At the same time, he knows the risk.
Yes, if he wins, he won’t receive the credit he might deserve. And if he loses, his legacy will have taken an enormous hit. A super middleweight losing to a welterweight? Disgraceful.
Again, Alvarez is smart to avoid Crawford.
Who will he fight on May 4? No announcement has been made, but it appears that 160-pound champion Jermall Charlo — Jermell’s twin brother — is the leading candidate.
Charlo also will be moving up in weight but only one division. And it seems clear that he’s naturally as big as Alvarez, who is a relatively small super middleweight.
Alvarez would still face criticism if he opts to fight Charlo — perhaps because he will not have chosen 168-pound contender David Benavidez, the fans’ choice for his next opponent — but it won’t be because of a prohibitive size advantage.
The Mexican star could live with that. He’s well aware that critics will always find something to complain about.
And he could also announce after the fight — assuming he wins — that Benavidez will be his next opponent. That also would be a smart move by a smart man.
