Canelo Alvarez Already Has Next Opponent in Line, Poised to KO Terence Crawford

Canelo Alvarez is just days away from stepping into the ring against Terence Crawford at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The two will clash for Canelo’s undisputed super middleweight crown in what many experts are calling a razor-close matchup, despite ‘Bud’ moving up two weight classes. Even the betting odds for the fight on Netflix reflect how evenly matched this showdown appears to be.

While Canelo remains a slight favorite, attention has also turned to what lies ahead for the Mexican superstar. His longtime trainer, Eddy Reynoso, recently shed light on the path forward. It’s already known that after the Crawford bout, Canelo has two fights left on his four-fight deal with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Now, Reynoso has revealed who might be waiting in line as one of those future opponents.

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Canelo Alvarez wants revenge

Speaking to CNN en Español a couple of days ago, Reynoso was pressed about Canelo’s last fight before he retires. Reynoso didn’t mince words, as he revealed his star fighter’s intentions beyond Terence Crawford. “Against Dmitry Bivol. I know Saul can beat him. We were close to doing it. I think after this fight, we’re going to reconsider what we want,” Reynoso said. “I have confidence in Saul, because I’ve known him my whole life. I know how far he can go.”

As for Crawford, Reynoso has enough confidence in his star pupil to predict a knockout. “I know that with the preparation we’re doing, we’re going to knock out Crawford,” Reynoso said. “After seeing that result, we’ll see what’s next for February or May. I’d love to fight with Bivol.” When asked whether Canelo had expressed a desire to run it back with Dmitry Bivol once he is done with Crawford, Reynoso said, “This is the first time I’m saying this in front of the cameras.”

“I didn’t have a goal in mind, but we’ve been working well in the gym,” he added during the interview. “I’ve seen Saul’s ability. We’ve done other things in training that we couldn’t have done because of injuries we’ve had. I think we’re doing well. We’re working well physically and mentally.” Bivol, of course, shocked the world back in May 2022 when he outboxed Canelo Alvarez to secure a unanimous decision win at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Bivol was expected to meet rival Artur Beterbiev in a long-awaited rubber match, but the Russian’s recent back surgery has thrown that plan into uncertainty. For now, Alvarez’s focus remains firmly on Terence Crawford—a challenge that, despite Eddy Reynoso’s confidence, looms as a steep mountain to climb. And weighing in on the debate, none other than Mike Tyson has shared his thoughts on whether Canelo has what it takes to prevail.

Mike Tyson wants Terence Crawford to win

Heavyweight legend Mike Tyson hasn’t made his admiration for Terence Crawford a secret. The former heavyweight champion values what Crawford brings to the table – fight IQ, skill set, and ability to make adjustments mid-fight. Despite all that, ‘Iron’ Mike is not sure whether ‘Bud’ can pull off an upset against Canelo Alvarez.

“I want Crawford to win, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen,” Tyson admitted on The Big Podcast. “I would like for it to happen.” He went as far as to warn Terence Crawford about the power and experience Canelo will bring inside the ring. “This guy [Alvarez] is a hard puncher; he’s a smart fighter. I want to see it.”

It appears it’s not just Canelo Alvarez or his trainer who sees the Terence Crawford fight as a foregone conclusion – even Mike Tyson appears to predict Canelo’s win.

Terence Crawford prototypes are few and far between, which means Canelo Alvarez can only try to find fellow fighters who can mimic the prolific switch-hitting style that he will present when they meet Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Netflix.

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Terence Crawford Might Walk Away From The Super Middleweight Belts After Canelo

Terence Crawford says he’s coming for “those belts” in his fight against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez this Saturday night on Netflix from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) views the fight as “business.” He wants what Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) has got with his four titles. Interestingly, he’s not mentioned anything about defending them unless it involves a rematch with Canelo.

A Three-Division Quest

Winning those titles would make Crawford a three-division undisputed champion. He captured the undisputed championship previously at 147 and 140. He chose not to try to do the same at 154, likely due to the time involved with rounding up the three titles he needed. Canelo has made it convenient for Crawford by holding all four belts.

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The Catch and Release Plan

Without a rematch, Crawford will surely treat the belts in a catch-and-release type scenario, like fishing and letting the fish go. It’s too risky for him to hold onto the titles because the contenders are younger, bigger, and just as strong as Canelo.

If Crawford is ordered to defend against IBF mandatory Osleys Iglesias, it’s unrealistic to assume that he’ll make the defense.

“Canelo is big, but he’s not a massive fighter. He’s not 6’0″. He’s big, but he’s not this giant. So, picking Canelo was something that we looked deeply into at the time,” said Terence Crawford to Netflix about him not being concerned with the jump up in weight to fight Canelo Alvarez at 168.

Canelo’s Punching Power

It’s not the size of Canelo that Crawford has to be concerned with. It’s his punching power and his body attack. Alvarez hits harder than anyone Crawford has fought during his career, and he doesn’t have to load up to generate the power. We’ve seen Crawford hurt twice in his career against Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2014 and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

In Terence’s last fight against Israil Madrimov at 154 on August 3, 2024, he handled his power well without showing signs of being hurt. However, Madrimov wasn’t loading up on his punches in the fight. He was just reaching out to connect. Both of Crawford’s eyes were still puffed up from the shots he had been hit by from Israil.

“I think it’s going to be a tough fight. He’s going to bring the best out of me, and I’m going to bring the best out of him. It’s going to be an exciting fight,” said Crawford. “It’s business. I want what he got, and that’s them belts and that’s the undisputed title.”