Canelo Alvarez Is Too Tough and Crawford Not a Killer, Says Coach

Coach Greg Hackett doubts that Terence Crawford can knock out undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on September 13th. He hasn’t seen that kind of power from the 38-ish Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) that suggests that he could knockout a “bull” like Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs).

Crawford’s Style Won’t KO Canelo

Hackett says that if this were the days of 15-round fights, he believes Crawford would knock out Canelo, but not in a 12-round fight. Canelo is too tough. Bud isn’t the type of fighter that goes all out for a knockout like some of the fighters in other weight classes. He’s more of the type that is content to outbox his opponents, win a decision, collect his paycheck, and disappear for a year before fighting again.

“Canelo Alvarez is the type that you got to kill. I’m not saying that Crawford doesn’t have the power to kill him, but in order to kill him, you’ve got to have unlimited ammo,” said trainer Greg Hackett to YSM Sports Media about whether Terence Crawford can knock out Canelo Alvarez on September 13th.

It would take a big puncher to knock out Canelo, and they would have to be willing to stand and trade. Crawford doesn’t possess the power or the willingness to stand in the trenches and battle Alvarez. He’ll box him like he always does his opponents.

Crawford’s fight against Errol Spence was the only one in his career where he fought aggressively throughout, and that was because he was fighting a drained shell. Spence had lost a significant amount of weight to reach the 147-lb limit for that fight, and looked lethargic and slow. He’d also been out of the ring for over a year after his war against Yordenis Ugas in April 2022.

15 Rounds vs. 12: Crawford Factor

“In the 15-round days, yeah, because Bud is a 15-round fighter. But in the 12-round days, nah,” said Hackett about Crawford potentially knocking out Canelo in the old days in the early 1980s before the longer 15-round bouts were discontinued. “Canelo isn’t going to let you kill him. He’s not the bull to go out like that. He’s just one of those bulls that he keeps in the barn. He done destroyed a lot of people. Maybe you can get over on him, but knock him out? Nah.”

Crawford didn’t show the aggressiveness in his fight against Israil Madrimov at 154 for him to have a chance of knocking out Canelo. He only started putting it on Madrimov in the 10th, and even then, it was only because he’d become passive. Canelo will still be too dangerous for Crawford to fight the way he did against Madrimov. He was taking it to the inside, hitting him with uppercuts. He couldn’t do that against Canelo because his inside game is too good.

Terence’s Age, Punching Power

“I know he [Crawford] can punch, but I don’t know if it’s a freak punch. Crawford would have to be fighting at a rate that’s almost uncontrollable,” said Greg about what Terence would have to do for him to stop Canelo. But what we’ve got to remember about Bud is that he’s not a kid. If Bud was 28 or 29, I could be, ‘Oh s***, maybe.’ But he’s 30-plus [Note: Crawford turns 38 on September 28].”

Crawford’s knockouts come from connecting with counter-shots that his opponents don’t see coming. He’s never been an enormous puncher in any weight class he’s fought at. Even at 135, he didn’t have the power of former featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, who was fighting in his third weight class. Gamboa hit harder than Crawford.

Masterclass, Not KO

“That’s where it kind of evens out, and that’s why I say we won’t see a stoppage, but we’ll see one of those masterclass performances [from Crawford]. I see that, but I don’t see a knockout,” said Hackett.

Crawford fought at a slow pace moving up to 154 in his last fight after a year out of the ring. He’s clearly packed on weight, bulking up for the Canelo fight. That means he’s going to be slower, moving at a measured pace because he won’t have the stamina carrying all that extra weight.