Kell Brook says Canelo’s Size and Power Will Eventually Wear Down and Defeat Crawford

Kell Brook is picking Canelo Alvarez to defeat Terence Crawford based on his size advantage on Saturday night, September 13. The former IBF welterweight champion Brook says the “extra pounds” on Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) will eventually be too much for Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to handle and he’ll be “cut down” by the Mexican star.

Power Overcome’s Skill

Brook fought Crawford in 2020 and had done well in the first three rounds before being knocked out in the fourth round. Crawford switched to the southpaw stance in round four, staggering Kell with a right hook. He then finished him off with an accumulation of blows.

“I think with the size and the way Canelo is going to cut him down and pressure. The extra pounds on him are eventually going to be a factor in the fight for me. Canelo will be the tougher guy,” said Kell Brook to Boxing King Media.

There may not be too much difference in weight between Canelo and Crawford on Saturday night. What will likely be the factor that tips it in Alvarez’s favor is his power advantage. Crawford gaining weight won’t result in him hitting as hard as Canelo, nor having the same technique that he possesses.

The other thing is that Crawford hasn’t been hit by a fighter with Canelo’s punching power during his career. Sparring doesn’t replicate what Crawford will be going through on Saturday night because headgear and 16-oz gloves are worn during camp. It’s not the real thing.

“Yeah, he could do. I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Brook when asked if he could see Crawford winning a 12-round decision.

The Mayweather Blueprint

Crawford can win if he boxes Canelo, using his jab, throwing single punches, and moving away. When Alvarez closes the distance, Bud can tie him up to prevent him from getting his shots off in close. That’s the playbook Floyd Mayweather Jr. used in his victory over Canelo in 2013.

It was unexciting due to the lack of action, but Mayweather got the win. Back then, fans were more tolerant of watching a boring fight than they are now.

Displeasing the Fans 

Fighting that way might result in Crawford being booed continuously by the fans at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which could displease Turki Alalshikh. His goal for this fight is to use it to strengthen boxing by putting on a good show for the fans worldwide and impressing the Netflix platform.

“I think Crawford can match him in every department. I just think the size. Canelo hasn’t been looking great. He just knew he was going to do the job,” said Brook.

Crawford’s Lazy Preparation Mistake

Bulking this quickly for one fight without competing in the 168-lb division before this match is a problem for Crawford. He took a lazy approach to preparing for this fight by choosing not to get experience at super middleweight ahead of time.

He feels that just bulking up and sparring against bigger guys is enough. If Crawford loses on Saturday, we’ll know that he made a mistake in his prep.