It’s fight week! This Saturday in fabulous Las Vegas (still THE place to see a prizefight, be it inside the venue, at a bar, or on closed circuit(!) – we will finally get to see the most heavily hyped fight of the year go down. Take place. Happen before our eyes. Hopefully explode. Yes, many a fight fan has long since grown weary of the far too plentiful articles written about the super-middleweight title fight that has been dubbed a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ fight.
Maybe the hype will be lived up to, and maybe, depending on when you were born and how long you will live, this one will prove to be a FOALT. Two stars, of the pound-for-pound variety, will meet in the middle of the ring (again, we hope so, anyway), and we are looking forward to seeing ring IQ, all-round skills, power, chin, heart, desire and a just plain who wants it most attitude put on the line.
Crawford’s Greatness vs Canelo’s Size and Payday
Much has been written of the way “Bud” Crawford (who says, with much justification, that he is THE best switch-hitter of all-time) will be giving away natural size, weight and strength against the Mexican superstar. But Crawford, who is essentially jumping up from welterweight, says his greatness will overcome, will pass the test; THE test.
Much has also been written about how Canelo, who has faded, perhaps more so than the still-sharp, you could say completely undamaged Crawford, is taking this fight for one big reason: the big – as in monster-big – payday he will collect. Both men will be paid handsomely, and this is another reason we fans are asking for so much action in this fight; we need to see both men earn their money. But which of the two future Hall of Famers will be fighting for legacy more so than money?
Will It Be Chess, Chaos, or a Classic?
Hopefully, both warriors will be thinking about things other than money when the bell rings. We want to see both modern greats push each other, hurt each other, cut each other, knock each other down, maybe more than once. In short, we want what we’ve all wanted ever since that special day in April of 1985: we want Hagler-Hearns each and every time a super-fight goes down.
We won’t get it on Saturday, not likely, anyway. But we could get something special all the same. Maybe it will be a chess-match in Vegas, maybe it will be a beatdown. Or maybe it will be a Leonard-Hearns type classic that elevates both men.
The promoters, the writers, the TV spots and the full-on pre-fight shows have done the hyping. Now, here’s hoping. No matter who wins, this fight needs to deliver, such is the sheer weight of the expectation on the shoulders of Canelo Vs. Crawford, AKA ‘There Can Only Be One.”
My Pick: Crawford to be denied on the scorecards, this after appearing to many of us to have done enough to get the decision win.
