LAS VEGAS — In a city that’s been home to a majority of boxing’s biggest fights, you’ll have a hard time finding any that have brought as much energy and anticipation to the Strip as Saturday night’s title bout between the sport’s superstar, Canelo Alvarez, and undefeated American torchbearer Terence “Bud” Crawford.
Crawford will move up two weight divisions to put his 41-0-0 record on the line against Alvarez (63-2-2) in a 168-pound bout for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight world championship.
The fight — the first at Allegiant Stadium — was arranged through a joint venture by Dana White and TKO with Saudi sports mogul Turki Al-Sheikh and Riyadh Season in an alliance that could transform the sport.
“When Turki asked me to be a part of this thing, there’s absolutely no way you wouldn’t do it,” White said. “I’ve enjoyed working with both camps and both of these guys. It’s going to be an incredible fight on Saturday night, and I’m honored to be here.”
Saturday’s match coincides with Mexican Independence Day weekend, a time of year that has become known as the biggest on the boxing calendar. The fight will be broadcast for free on Netflix, marking the first major departure from the traditional pay-per-view system for a high-profile title fight.
While the fight will technically be on American soil, Alvarez – a native of Mexico — has made Las Vegas his de facto home during the holiday weekend. As a result, the crowd will be highly partisan in his favor.
“(I’m promising) my best,” the 35-year-old Alvarez said. “I’m going to put everything I have into this and you’re going to see all of my elements in this fight.
“Everybody’s involved. Netflix, Riyadh Season, everybody involved around the fight. You can see how big it is. Two of the best fighters in this era fighting each other, you can see how big it is.”
Alvarez, largely owing to the built-in weight advantage, is a -165 favorite on DraftKings and -160 on BetMGM as of Thursday.
For the 37-year-old Crawford, the match will be a career-defining moment. The Omaha, Neb., native is as accomplished as any fighter in the sport’s recent history, but he’s earned only a fraction of the mainstream recognition that past fighters of his stature have received.
With devastating wins over a long list of strong fighters including Errol Spence, Shawn Porter and Amir Khan, the man affectionately known as “Bud” has emerged as the face of American championship boxing.
Crawford is fully aware of the stakes for both him and Alvarez, but he’s certain in his ability to pull off the upset on one of the biggest stages.
“First and foremost, I’m definitely going to win,” Crawford said. “I’m winning this fight for sure. But at the same time, I don’t think losing tarnishes me or Canelo’s legacy. I think Canelo’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I think that I’m a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Win, lose, or draw, we’re both going to the Hall of Fame.
“That’s the ultimate goal at the end of the day, to be named with all the great fighters that came before us.”
The co-main event features Las Vegas resident Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-0, 15 KOs), the son of legendary welterweight Fernando Vargas, against Irishman Callum Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) – backed by White — in a battle of future stars.
Other fights on the main card include Christian M’billi (29-0, 14 KOs) vs. Lester Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) for M’billi’s interim WBC super middleweight title. Mohammed Alakel (4-0, 1 KO) faces Travis Kent Crawford (7-4,2 KOs) in a lightweight bout.
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
