Tim Bradley Believes Terence Crawford’s Mental Game Is The Key To Defeating Canelo

Hall of Famer Tim Bradley says Terence Crawford is going to figure out Canelo Alvarez’s style, and he’s going to “win this fight” on September 13th.

Bradley is confident that Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) will solve the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo’s style and dethrone him at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Crawford’s Mental Edge

“He’s going to figure this out, and he’s going to win this fight,” said Tim Bradley on his site, predicting that Terence Crawford will come up with a way to defeat Canelo Alvarez on September 13, 2025. “This dude is a winner. I’m telling you about Canelo Alvarez. I know this mountain is big, but if I know somebody who can climb it, it’s Terence Bud Crawford.”

Terence has been a winner in the past at welterweight and in one fight at junior middleweight. He didn’t face a fighter with Canelo’s talent. That’s the difference. Crawford is stepping into the unknown, fighting the Mexican superstar Canelo, and moving up two weight classes at age 37.

The Importance of Timing

“Timing is going to be a big part of this, and defense,” said Bradley about Crawford. “Top athletes are able to stay focused, and that’s Crawford. He’s laser-focused. He never takes his eyes off what he needs to do.”

Crawford’s timing looked off in his last fight against Israil Madrimov on August 3, 2024. Madrimov seemingly couldn’t miss with his right hand the entire fight. If Bud’s timing is what Bradley says it is, he should have been able to intercept those shots and counter Madrimov. That didn’t happen, and I was fortunate to be given a 12-round unanimous decision.

The timing that Crawford had shown a year before, against Errol Spence, wasn’t there. Was the inactivity or Terence getting old overnight? He was 36 for that fight, which is an age when many fighters are out of the sport due to their skills eroding. Crawford has now been out of the ring for another year, going into his fight with Canelo. That timing Bradley talks about could have eroded even further.

“He’s constantly thinking 24/7. Even when there’s heat coming at him, he’s thinking. It’s just a different athlete. I think that’s going to be a huge factor in the fight,” said Bradley.

Bradley’s Prediction on the Line

With the praise that Bradley has given Crawford on his channel over the last month, it could be a bitter pill for him to swallow if Canelo defeats him. He is the favorite with the oddsmakers. Crawford, moving up two to three weight classes after a year’s layoff and turning 38 on September 28, may be too much for him. He checks all the boxes for a fighter who could lose to Canelo on September 13th.

It sounds like the sparring that Crawford gave Bradley late in his career left an impression on him. He didn’t mention how old he was when he sparred with Crawford. That would have helped.