Paulie Malignaggi says it’ll be “better for boxing” if Terence Crawford dethrones undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in eight days on September 13th.
Canelo’s Stranglehold on Titles
Malignaggi argues that if Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) wins, he’ll continue to hold his four 168-lb titles “hostage” by defending them against “second-rate opposition” as he’s been routinely doing.
Malignaggi states that if Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) wins, he could vacate the four titles, freeing them up for the contenders to be given a chance to fight for them. He says that Canelo, 35, has not been providing the top fighters opportunities to fight him for his belts.
The sanctioning bodies have played a part in this as well, giving Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia, and John Ryder high rankings at 168. So, Canelo defended against fighters rated in the top five.
The sanctioning bodies are still doing that with the WBC giving Hamzah Sheeraz a #1 ranking after only one fight at 168 against Berlanga. Sheeraz is one of the names in the running for Canelo’s next title challenger, should the Mexican star defeat Crawford.
Crawford’s Tactical Approach
“If Canelo is going to win, he’s going to have to cut off the ring and bring the fight to Crawford and trap him,” said former world champion Paulie Malignaggi to talkSport Boxing. “To offset that, Crawford has to box and use his legs, but he can’t run. If you’re moving too much, you’re going to wind up in flight and risk getting fatigued.”
Fans hope that Crawford won’t use movement to avoid Canelo because they want to see an exciting fight. With the hype and heavy promotion that is being put into this fight by Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine, it would be a big letdown if Crawford plays it safe, using the Floyd Mayweather Jr. blueprint to defeat Canelo by moving all night.
The Underwhelming Undercard
While it’s not a PPV event, fans still want to be entertained and don’t want to subscribe to Netflix for nothing. The undercard, packaged with the Canelo-Crawford fight, is filled with prospects, many of whom are likely destined to be career fringe contenders. It would have helped cushion the possible disappointment of the main event if Turki had stacked the undercard with top fighters who are future world champion material or some holding titles.
“One advantage Crawford has is that he’s a two-stance fighter, and he’s very slick out of both stances,” said Malignaggi. “He’s very deceptive out of both stances. Canelo has some very good sparring partners who can change stances. He’s got Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. Crawford has been sparring with [super middleweight contender] Lester Martinez.”
The Challenge of Switch-Hitting
Canelo has fought too many southpaws during his career for Crawford’s switch-hitting ability to be an advantage for him. If anything, it could get Crawford hurt if he chooses to constantly switch stances because Canelo could catch him while he’s switching and knock him out. I think he would be better off sticking with the southpaw stance the entire fight.
“I hope I don’t have to deal with Canelo taking on second-rate opposition again, like he’s been doing and keeping belts hostage. I do think it’s better for boxing if Crawford beats him. Crawford then retires and vacates the titles, and then they become up for grabs in a very good super middleweight division where a lot of young fighters that have deserved a title shot and not gotten it,” said Malignaggi.
Crawford’s Post-Fight Plan
If Crawford wins, he’s not expected to vacate the undisputed super middleweight championship. A rematch is the most likely thing to happen, and Crawford will hold onto the titles long enough for that to take place. He could give up a belt if, for example, the IBF orders him to defend against the mandatory challenger Osleys Iglesias. Crawford wouldn’t take that risky fight and potentially get knocked out. He’d sacrifice the title and face Canelo in a rematch with three rather than four titles.