Will Added Pounds Slow Crawford Against Canelo Alvarez?

Lonnie Thompson believes the extra weight that Terence Crawford will be packing on for his title challenge against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez will tire him out, resulting in him losing on September 13th. Thompson says the power on Canelo’s shots will further wear the 37-year-old Crawford down.

Canelo Alvarez’s Power Advantage

“I think Crawford is good, but when you look at his fight against Madrimov at 154, he gave him trouble,” said Lonnie Thompson to Pro Boxing Fans, talking about the problems Terence Crawford had moving up from 147 to 154 in his last fight when he barely beat Israil Madrimov last August.

Madrimov gave Crawford a lot of trouble, and arguably beat him last August. The difference in power was noticeable. Madrimov was a lot bigger puncher, and was bouncing shots off Crawford’s head all night. It was clear from watching that fight that Terence’s power hadn’t carried up from 154.

“He’s going up two different weight classes. Crawford is an excellent boxer, but I think his heart is too big sometimes,” said Thompson. “I think if he gets in a slugging match with Canelo, it’s going to go bad for him. I can see him outboxing Canelo for five or six rounds. The only thing I worry about is those last rounds.”

It would be a crazy idea for Bud to go to war with Canelo, because he won’t have enough pop in his punches to match him. Canelo’s last opponent, IBF champion William Scull, was bigger, stronger, younger, and faster than Crawford. He didn’t want any part of mixing it up with Alvarez once he got hit a few times.

Fight Fatigue Risk

“After six, when Canelo starts hitting him on the shoulders and hips, because you can go up in weight,” said Thompson. “But when you’re used to fighting at a smaller weight, putting on all that weight can make you tired. It’s not like he took a tune-up at 168. He went for the jugular at 168.”

Crawford isn’t going to want to mix it up with Canelo once he gets hit a few times. He’s going to take a minimalist approach, trying to box his way to a win by jabbing. That won’t work against the superstar Canelo because the judges won’t give Crawford the decision if he attempts to get a cheap win.

“I think as the rounds go on, it can get bad for Crawford because Canelo can punch. He’s used to fighting bigger bodies. Even though he’s a bum, Berlanga, he’s a big guy. So, with Crawford being a blown-up 168, I’m leaning more toward Canelo to win,” said Lonnie B.

It’s not just the size that is going to cause problems for Crawford. It’s his age, and he’s coming off another year’s layoff. He barely got away with his long layoff and one-division weight jump in his last fight against Israil Madrimov. Now, he’s going up two divisions after a 13-month layoff just before his 38th birthday.