Plenty of fight fans have expressed their, shall we say, disappointment over the lack of a nasty element taking place between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, this ahead of their huge September 13 showdown.
Some fans were really aggrieved to see the two sitting down to eat a lavish meal together, in the company of Turki Alalshikh. This is not how intense rivals should go about things, the critics said, and it is tough to imagine how rivals like Ali and Frazier could ever have sat down and eaten together prior to any of their fights.
Alvarez-Crawford Shove Fuels Hype
The two pound-for-pounders have, until just moments ago, dispensed with the animosity along with the trash-talk. But for fans who like to see two fighters get into it with one another before a fight, this is to prove the dislike is there, will no doubt be pleased to know what went on during a face-off earlier today.
With Dana White, the fight’s promoter in the middle, Canelo shoved Crawford as they stood nose-to-nose. And “Bud” did not like it one bit. There was a brief melee, and to be fair, both fighters did look to be genuinely angry. No doubt, the footage of the incident will do the rounds big style on the internet.
The face-off seemed to be cordial enough until Crawford edged forward, pushing Canelo back a few steps. Canelo didn’t like it, and he put both hands on Crawford as he pushed him back. The crowd went nuts, and plenty of people, including Crawford’s trainer BoMac, piled into the middle to separate the two rivals.
This incident is sure to help interest build in the fight, not that there wasn’t plenty of big interest before today’s “shove.” And some cynics out there may well say the shove was a staged thing, designed to generate more buzz, thus additional viewing figures, for the fight.
Fight Buzz: Canelo, Crawford Melee
It’s quite rare to see Canelo lose his cool, though, and it’s even rarer to see Crawford get angry. So, in all honesty, today’s face-off fun and games were likely not preplanned.
Crawford wore a wide grin as he and Canelo were brought together again (with White in the middle) this time to show off the glitzy Ring Magazine belt that will be handed to the winner on September 13. Canelo, for his part, was still visibly angry; his gaze fixed on Crawford, with some finger pointing and a few inaudible words spoken by the Mexican star.
Crawford, his game face on, really did look like a prime Thomas Hearns, while Canelo, with his serious demeanour, looked at least a little bit like a bearded Roberto Duran. And we all know how the fight between Hearns and Duran went.
All in all, a lively end to yet another big boxing presser.
