On September 13th the Boxing world will converge on Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas,NV for the biggest event in the sport of Boxing in 2025 as two-time Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez will make the first defense of his crown since regaining undisputed champion status in May of this year against undefeated multi-division world champion Terence Crawford. An encounter eagerly anticipated and in some ways mythical in the sense of it being a mythical fantasy fight in the minds of fans and experts alike not long ago.
The reason for that is largely rooted in the fact that Crawford, a former four-division world champion, who became undisputed world champion in both the Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions, has only competed as high as the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. While he most recently won the WBO Jr. Middleweight world championship in August of last year with a twelve round decision over previously unbeaten Israel Madrimov, Crawford is at a unique stage in his career that few fighters can claim.
For Crawford is a true rarity in that he has spent his entire career virtually cleaning out every division he has competed in with little resistance from his opposition. This has put him in rarified air as a fighter that feels there is not much more he could accomplish and rightly has earned the right to pick a marquee fight in what could be his final bout of a Hall of Fame career. The choice is arguably the most challenging option, moving up in weight one more time to challenge Alvarez for his undisputed crown.
What makes this unique and potentially a historic occasion is Crawford, who has only fought as high as the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division only once, will be moving up fourteen pounds and two divisions to make the attempt to become the first fighter to become an undisputed world champion in three separate weight classes. When one considers that Cranford began his career as an 135lb. Lightweight, it puts such an attempt in perspective as he will now be competing in a fight thirty-three pounds up the scale from where he began his career. While some may not appreciate that figure, there have only been a few fighters throughout history that have been able to defy conventional wisdom by going up significantly in weight over time and do so successfully.
The most prominent example in terms of modern times outside of Crawford is the recently returned and also recent inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao, a man who began his career as a 105lb. Strawweight, moved up through multiple divisions becoming Boxing's only eight-division world champion, coincidentally like Crawford, winning a world championship as high as the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. While the styles of Crawford and Pacquiao are different, the similarity between the two is both were and are generational talents that have elevated Boxing.
As for the man who will be standing in Crawford's way on September 13th, Saul “Canelo" Alvarez has also cemented his legacy as a future Hall of Famer having won world titles in four weight classes and becoming the first fighter in history to fully unify the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division, a distinction that due to the politics that be in the sport, he has accomplished twice.
Despite his accomplishments and being arguably still at the top of his game, some have suggested that Alvarez has shown some signs of decline in recent fights. The basis for this is likely rooted in the fact that Alvarez has not stopped an opponent inside the distance since November 2021 when he knocked out then IBF Super-Middleweight world champion Caleb Plant in the first fight where he became Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion. Outside of a defeat in a failed bid to regain a portion of the World Light-Heavyweight championship to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, Alvarez has remained atop the Super-Middleweight division. In his last fight, Alvarez regained his undisputed status by scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten IBF world champion William Scull. Although a lopsided victory over an opponent with an amateur style that did not press Alvarez, criticism has remained.
Whether or not the fact that Alvarez, who has gone seven bouts since his last stoppage victory, is a sign of decline is for now a matter of debate. The fact that outside of his loss to a master boxer in Bivol, Alvarez has been able to retain his position atop the Super-Middleweight division by scoring convincing victories that though not ending in knockouts, have been no less convincing is something to also take into consideration. While one would have to go back to his first two fights against Gennady Golovkin in the 160lb. Middleweight division to find fights outside of his most recent loss to Bivol, to find a significant debate over the outcome, (This observer is on record in his stance that Golovkin won both of those bouts that ended in a draw in the first fight and a win for Alvarez in the second encounter) Alvarez’ two losses have all come to fighters regarded as master boxers, Floyd Mayweather and the aforementioned Bivol.
Although one would have a valid argument to suggest that Terence Crawford, like Mayweather and Bivol is a master boxer with seemingly no flaws having been exposed to this point in his career, the question here should be whether the aspect of weight will be the dominant factor rather than overall skillset and execution that will determine who will win this fight. Despite moving up in weight to challenge Alvarez, Crawford does have two physical advantages going into this encounter. A one inch height advantage at 5’8 and nearly four inches in reach with a 74 inch reach compared to Alvarez’ 70 ½ reach. Where things at least in theory, however, begin to tip more in the champion’s favor is Alvarez began his career as a 147lb. Welterweight, twelve pounds higher than where Crawford began his as a Lightweight. Furthermore, Alvarez has routinely fought and dominated naturally bigger opposition, particularly since he moved into the Super-Middleweight division and also briefly held a World Light-Heaweight championship as well along the way, so those physical advantages Crawford has, though legitimate, likely does not concern the champion.
How does this fight play itself out? This is a case where it's a true unknown in the sense that both Alvarez and Crawford are both well-rounded boxer/punchers that can do a little of everything, but the perception many fans seem to have is that Cranford has more going for him than Alvarez going into this encounter. This perception could likely be due to the idea that Alvarez has had trouble against fighters considered to be master boxers and at least on paper, this looks to be a similar scenario as Alvarez faced against Mayweather and Bivol. Whether that manifests itself in the ring remains to be seen. Neither fighter has ever been dropped in their careers so it will be interesting to see what happens if there is a heated exchange of punches and it will be of equal interest to see who will have the edge in hand speed. One aspect that has not been talked much about, however, is unlike his bouts against Mayweather where he had a disadvantage in terms of major fight experience, and Bivol a master boxer who was also naturally bigger, now this is a little of a reversal in that Alvarez has more than enough experience in fights like this and now is the fighter more experienced competing at heavier weights. The question will be how his skillset and fight plan will match up against Crawford at this stage in his career.
An aspect of this event that also adds to it being the biggest fight of the year is most fights that fit that description are usually reserved for the excuse of the pay-per-view model, something that frankly has been detrimental and to be blunt a cancer to the sport as costs have only gone up over time, frequency of pay-per-view being used also having increased, and digital streaming networks like DAZN, once marketed as a viable alternative to the model with the introduction of a subscription-based model, having found themselves dipping their toes more and more into pay-per-view, that has alienated many subscribers, but this event, which is legitimately the biggest fight on the Boxing calendar will not be on pay-per-view either through independent means or through a network like DAZN. Instead, this fight has the potential to achieve the type of viewership promoters could only dream of via the outdated pay-per-view model, by airing on global digital entertainment streaming network Netflix, with no additional fee attached beyond a Netflix subscription to access the event either live or on demand.
Following the success of the Tyson-Paul event last November and the all women's Boxing card headlined by the third encounter between future Hall of Famers Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano earlier this year in Madison Square Garden, this event will mark Netflix's third Boxing event and like the previous two, has the potential to draw numbers never reached before for Boxing in the streaming era. While Netflix has invested in single events in the sport to this point that they feel are significant rather than seeking output deals with promoters to provide a consistent schedule, the fact that this fight will show once again the viability of subscription-based models over the inflated, overused, and our dated model of pay-per-view, should be viewed as a positive for the sport. Not only because of it being consumer-friendly, but also, it will put other networks involved in the sport as well as promoters who have continued to insist on pay-per-view, despite increasing evidence that it is no longer embraced by consumers, in the position of needing to both step up their game, but also do so with a model that will be consumer-friendly and will thus allow them to remain competitive in the sport. With the recent news that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Mixed Martial Arts promotion, a promotion that has long had its own subscription-based streaming network UFC Fight Pass, which has allowed subscribers access to the promotion's full library as well as content both live and on demand from other promoters throughout combat sports, but one that has remained on pay-per-view for its numbered events as being the only real stronghold outside of Boxing keeping the model alive, recently signed a $7.7 Billion deal with digital entertainment streaming network Paramount+ to carry all upcoming UFC events including numbered events, which will all be included with a subscription to Paramount+ beginning in 2026 with no additional pay-per-view fees attached, thus moving the promotion fully away from the pay-per-view model, which was in response to its own declining pay-per-view numbers,while also maintaining its own streaming network, hopefully, this along with Netflix's involvement in Boxing, will finally break the wall of resistance of those promoters and network that have continued to insist on pay-per-view that Boxing is officially out of excuses and the time has finally come for change. If Alvarez-Crawford turns in solid numbers in terms of viewership as expected and draws additional subscribers, with Netflix looking to continue their involvement in the sport, even better.
If the fight turns out to be the true 50/50 encounter it appears to be on paper, ultimately this will likely be remembered akin to some of the classic encounters of the 1980’s where fights like this were regarded as true special occasions in the sport and the fights themselves are regarded and remembered fondly as all-time classics, which elevated Boxing to higher levels and drew interest from not only casual fans, but also folks who had never seen the sport before, which thus created new fans and helped grow the sport. As one who does not make predictions, this is a rare instance where I can not offer even a suggestion as to where things are leaning. For the first time in a good while, the aspect of the unknown that surrounds this fight has me excited to cover it and I cannot wait for round 1 to begin.
“And That's The Boxing Truth."
Alvarez vs. Crawford takes place on Saturday, September 13th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas,NV. The bout can be seen globally on digital subscription general entertainment network Netflix beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT and will be available to all Netflix subscribers at no additional cost. At 5:30PM ET/2:30PM PT preliminary bouts will be streamed on both the UFC and WWE YouTube channels before the main card gets underway on Netflix at the aforementioned start times. (*North American Start Times Only*)
(" On Demand replay of full event will be available shortly after live broadcast.*
For more information about Netflix subscription pricing information in your region of the world and local start times for this special event in your area please visit: www.Netflix.com.
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