You can add Paulie Malignaggi’s name to the seemingly growing list of boxing experts who feel Terence Crawford may well pull it off when he fights Canelo Alvarez in September. Though plenty of fans are still of the opinion that “Bud” is too small to be able to overcome the Mexican star, people such as Malignaggi, and Teddy Atlas, are not going against Crawford.
Malignaggi, who spoke with FightHype, said Crawford “reminds him of Floyd [Mayweather,]” and that a Crawford win in September would be “for the better of boxing.”
Canelo as we know was schooled by “Money” Mayweather when they fought back in 2013, with Mayweather appearing to win almost every round (but with one shamed judge somehow handing in a card that had the fight even!). Now, can Crawford, with his sublime skills, his high ring IQ, and his work ethic, be able to give Canelo, 62-2-2(39) some major Mayweather flashbacks in their Vegas super-fight?
“I originally thought Crawford was too small. I think Crawford was a way more complete fighter than Canelo ever was,” Malignaggi said. “It’s (a Crawford win) not out of the question. This Canelo is not the prime Canelo. This Canelo is trying to steal bags while half-a**ing it. When Canelo has been put in tough situations where he had to dig down, what has he done? He hasn’t really dug down and gone for broke in fights where he was losing. He (Crawford) is a a guy who reminds me of Floyd and is hungry, motivated and wants to be the best. He has that mean streak in the ring. I believe more now that Crawford can win.”
And what an achievement it would be by Crawford if he could cap his career with what would have to be looked at as his greatest win. As to why Malignaggi thinks a Crawford win would be “for the better of boxing,” the former champ says Crawford is a fighter who “went about his career the right way by trying to chase the best all the time.”
It’s an interesting question: which fighter has the better, more impressive ring resume – Canelo or Crawford? Canelo has of course been in there with Mayweather, with Miguel Cotto, with Dmitry Bivol, with Gennady Golovkin. Crawford has fought the likes of Shawn Porter, Israil Madrimov, Errol Spence, and Yuriorkis Gamboa.
And Crawford as we know, is unbeaten, at 41-0(31). If Crawford does manage to pull off the win over Canelo in September, how does he do it? There seems to be some smart money being placed on Crawford winning the fight on the scorecards.
“I believe more now that Crawford can win than when it was first talked about,” Malignaggi said. As this fight inches closer and closer, how many more experts will feel themselves sliding Crawford’s way?
