Caleb Plant has a few words of advice for Terence Crawford.
The American fought Canelo back in 2021, losing via stoppage in the 11th round, and has reflected on the bout and what Crawford can do to emerge victorious against the Mexican.
This Saturday, Alvarez and Crawford will meet at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in what is one of the biggest boxing fights of the decade.
Mexican superstar Canelo (62-2-2) will defend his super-middleweight belts against Crawford (41-0, 31 KO), the reigning WBA super-welterweight title holder, in what’s billed as the ‘fight of the century’ by Turki Alalshikh.
With the fight predicted to break numerous records and Alvarez expected to make over $100 million alone, there are no limits to what the megafight could achieve.
And, considering the magnitude of the fight, it’s no surprise that celebrities and boxing stars, past and present, are in Las Vegas to witness history.
One of those boxers is Caleb Plant, who had a bitter rivalry with Alvarez that effectively ended when the Mexican beat him in Las Vegas four years ago.
Plant offers advice to Crawford ahead of Canelo showdown in Las Vegas
Speaking on Shannon Sharpe’s Nightcap podcast, Plant, while showing respect for his former rival, revealed what Crawford should do against his former adversary.
“You know, I think it would be wise of Terence that he needs to box on the outside or all the way inside,” Plant, who lost his most recent fight in an upset by Armando Resendiz, said.
“He doesn’t need to be at the mid-range, and when he’s on the inside, he can smother and he can take angles on the inside, but he needs to be close, that’s just my two cents on that.”
Despite Plant’s detailed view on how Crawford should approach the fight, he still sounded concerned about the American’s ability to adapt to his new weight class.
The undefeated four-division world champion has moved up two weight classes to fight Alvarez at 167.5 pounds.
“There’s a saying for a reason, and that it’s there are weight classes for a reason,” he added.
“You spoke to Terrence, only fighting once at 154 to [Israil] Madrimov and spending most of his career 47, 40 and 35.
“But with the greatness he has achieved in his career, it’s like where do you draw the tipping point, and that is what I am excited to see.”
What have Crawford and Alvarez said ahead of the fight?
As is expected with two of the most experienced boxers on the planet, the pair have been clear on what they want from the fight, and that is to win.
Crawford specifically has shown why he is an exception in a sport based on playing to the gallery.
“I never set my sights out to be the face of boxing. It was never my goal,” the 37-year-old said.
“I just want to win. [Canelo] can be the face of boxing. Just give me everything in the background that comes with it.”
Terence Crawford's Career Highlights
Remarkable
- First male four-belt undisputed world champion in two divisions
Unified WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF welterweight titles with ninth-round TKO win over Errol Spence in July 2023
Achieved same feat by stopping Julius Indongo at 140lbs in 2017, becoming first to unify all four belts in division
- Four-weight world champion (10 world titles)
Lightweight (135lbs)
Super-lightweight (140lbs)
Welterweight (147lbs)
Super-welterweight (154lbs)
- Professional record: 41-0 (31 KOs)
19 wins (15 KOs) in world title fights
- Amateur record: 58-12
Canelo, meanwhile, has been crystal clear in his remarks, remaining confident that he possesses everything it will take to dismantle ‘Bud’.
“My style lets me do everything — box, pressure, counter. I can win any way I want,” he said in his pre-fight press conference.
“Obviously, I’ve been in this situation for a long time, and I have the experience. They only focus on my power, but I have more than that.”
Crawford, alongside Alvarez, was named this week in talkSPORT’s top 10 greatest boxers of the 21st century, with Joe Calzaghe, Oleksandr Usyk, and Floyd Mayweather all in the top five.
talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver described it as ‘once in a lifetime’ in his expert preview of the mega-fight.
Alvarez vs Crawford takes place on Saturday night at the 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with the main event ringwalks expected to take place around 4am UK time.