Hall of Fame fighter and analyst Tim Bradley says Terence Crawford isn’t scared of Canelo Alvarez. Bradley compares Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to Sugar Ray Leonard. He says he’s going to “figure it out” and deal with undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) on September 13th on Netflix at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Bradley’s Faith in Crawford
“Team Crawford ain’t scared. Canelo, you’re getting that Chrysler 300 work now,” said Tim Bradley on his channel, talking about Canelo Alvarez training with Jaron Ennis to prepare for Terence Crawford. “You’re getting that Bentley [Crawford] on the 13th, my boy.
Fans on social media viewed Bradley’s request that Ennis volunteer to be a mole for Crawford as a sign that he’s concerned for him. For Tim to be asking ‘Boots’ to be a stool pigeon about the training that is going on in the Canelo camp, it is a signal to some fans that he doesn’t have faith in Crawford
“You’re getting a real one on the 13th, I promise you,” said Bradley about Crawford. “I’ve been saying this since the first day I sparred this man [Crawford]. Trust me. Crawford is a different animal. He’s something like a Michael Jordan. He’s a GOAT [greatest of all time].”
We don’t know how good Crawford will be because he’s jumping up two weight classes to 168 after a disappointing showing in his move to 154 on August 3, 2024. Terence is 37 now, and he’s been out of the ring for an entire year. He checks all the boxes for a fighter heading toward defeat.
What Crawford has going against him
Age: He turns 38 on September 28
An extended layoff of 13 months
Two-division weight jump
Power: Crawford’s punching power at 154 did not affect his last opponent, Israil Madrimov, on August 3, 2024.
Undersized
“He’s going to figure it out. Crawford is Ali. Crawford is Sugar Ray Robinson. Crawford got Mayweather in him, too,” said Bradley. “Y’all going to understand after the 13th [of September]. Crawford is about to make you a believer. This is written already.”
Terence fights nothing like Muhammad Ali or Sugar Ray Robinson did. Those fighters used a lot more power punching, and they were more active. During Sugar Ray and Ali’s best years, they fought more than Crawford.
The Victory is Written
“Crawford already visualized this. He said, ‘Tim, ain’t no way he can beat me.’ He already downloaded. He has already fought this fight many times. You’re in for something special,” said Bradley.
Visualizing doesn’t mean much unless Crawford can produce enough offense. He can’t use the same amount of movement that he employed against Madrimov and expect to win a decision. This is Canelo, he’s fighting. We’ve seen Canelo win rounds in which he’s outworked. The judges focus on Canelo’s power and clean-landing shots when scoring his fights.
“‘Boots, ‘ you’re going to be a part of it too. You wanted attention? You’re going to get it, ‘Boots,’ because you’re going to be part of the victory. We’re going to have signs up and everything for you,” said Bradley.
A Win for Ennis Too
If Canelo wins, the victory will belong partially to Jaron Ennis for helping him with sparring for the fight. Bradley is seeing things from a negative sense with ‘Boots’ being criticized by fans, but it works the other way. A win for Alvarez is a victory for Ennis.
