The grand arrivals have come and gone. The hype machine is still in full swing. Now, the last thing we need is for one – or both – of the A-list ring warriors who will step into action in Las Vegas on Saturday night to be carrying an injury of some kind. Instead, both Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford need to be in tip-top, ready to go to war shape.
The Injury Talk
And, amid talk of a possible shoulder injury, “Bud” Crawford has quite literally shrugged off any and all suggestions that one of his arms could be compromised due to him nursing a shoulder problem. Crawford, who will be battling enough obstacles as it is: a naturally heavier fighter, a Mexican icon, an element of Father Time, arguably the stiffest puncher he has ever faced, needs to be firing on all cylinders if he’s to have a legit shot at taking Canelo’s unified 168-pound belts.
Crawford is adamant that he is indeed fine and that any and all talk of him carrying an injury is just that, talk.
“Where do I have a shoulder injury? I don’t know, I think people are coming up with their own antics,” Crawford said to gathered media members in Vegas. “Terence Crawford has a shoulder injury, is out of shape, slow – they are coming up with all kinds of stuff.”
It’s not as if the various boxing writers didn’t have enough to write about Saturday’s fight, is it! But sure enough, pretty much anything and everything has been put down on paper as this fight has inched ever closer. Crawford was all smiles as he punched away talk of his being injured, while Canelo has said (via his trainer Eddy Reynoso) that we will see a career-best showing on Saturday. That and a KO win.
The Hope for a Classic Fight
Let’s hope so (maybe not the Canelo KO win if you are a Crawford fan, but you know what I mean). This fight has so much expectation on it, it absolutely needs to deliver – it HAS to deliver. Two great fighters, both in superb shape, giving it their best, their all. No excuses.
Pick: I’m not budging – Canelo on points, this is a close fight, with a good many fans left feeling Crawford was hard done by.
Could these two future Hall of Famers end up fighting more than once?