“I don’t want any excuses. I don’t want any reasons why he doesn’t feel good. I want him at his best,” Terence Crawford reportedly stated. He was talking about Canelo Alvarez. And there are reasons why the former undisputed champion wants his Mexican rival to bring his A-game. Climbing up two weight classes, a meetup with the lord of the 168-pounders gives the pound-for-pound star a golden opportunity to showcase his legendary skills that have snuffed the lights out of many a titleholder.

But is that as easy as it appears? Terence Crawford has every right to be confident. But Canelo Alvarez remains the biggest test of his nearly two-decade-old career. He might have slowed down. But there are compelling arguments that substantiate why the Mexican superstar is often regarded as a generational great by many. So ahead of the historic showdown, let’s check out a few key details about the two living legends.

Predicting Alvarez vs. Crawford: Who has better stats and a record?

Both Canelo and Bud Crawford rely on experience that goes back years. They started out during the first decade of the century (Canelo in 2005, Crawford in 2008) as young apprentices. As years passed, the boxing world could barely afford to ignore their immense talent and, more significantly, their hunger for greatness. Records slightly differ. Canelo suffered defeats at the hands of two ring geniuses – Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. Still, the defeats made his resolve stronger. Getting better with each fight, he gradually overcame some of the stiffest opposition. 36 rounds of ruthless exchange with Gennady Golovkin and square-offs against the likes of Amir Khan, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant established him as boxing’s most recognizable face.

With 67 fights in his kitty, the 168-pound undisputed champion, who began his professional career as a teenager, boasts a record now considered a rarity in boxing. With his last KO victory, when he demolished Plant in the eleventh round to become the division’s first undisputed champion, Canelo’s KO rate currently stands at a competitive 62%.

Clearly, in terms of sheer output, Crawford may not match his Mexican counterpart. The Nebraskan switch-hitter records 41 professional bouts to date. But when it boils down to the knockout-to-win ratio and wins, Crawford enjoys an upper hand. Boxing’s first two-division undisputed champion among men, Crawford, who has his own repertoire of conquests, which includes wins over Shawn Porter, Kell Brook, and Errol Spence Jr., remains undefeated with an impressive 76% KO score.

So the stats and record are split 50/50 between the two, who collectively hold championships across four weight classes.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

Hitherto, one pressing concern hovered. The lead-up to the fight saw many talking about the physical differences between the two. But as days passed, the narrative petered out. Yes, Crawford is climbing up two weight classes. But as far as height and reach are concerned, he matches Canelo’s dimensions.

At 5 feet and 8 inches, or 173 centimeters, he stands half an inch taller than Canelo, who boasts a 5-foot and 7.5-inch (171-centimeter) height. Likewise, Crawford’s wingspan extends to 74 inches, or 188 centimeters. Canelo, on the other hand, records a 70.5-inch, or 179-centimeter, reach.

The final weigh-in of the fight is scheduled for tonight. Still, if it helps to gauge some insights, then for his recent fight against William Scull, Canelo weighed 167.1 lbs. Crawford, meanwhile, tipped the scale at 153.4 (light middleweight) when he fought Israil Madrimov last year.

Fight prediction

So it brings us to the million-dollar question: who’s going to win? With doubts over physical disparity now negligible, Crawford has climbed in the oddsmakers’ rankings. Still, Canelo edges him out as the overall favorite. The difference is just marginal, though. The Mexican champion seems to have a 59% chance of securing a win.

The confidence primarily stems from the ring activity. Time and again, many appeared apprehensive about Crawford’s apparent inactivity. His last fight, against Israil Madrimov, occurred 12 months ago. Against that, Canelo has been fairly active.

More so, it’s Crawford who’s walking into the lion’s den. 168 lbs is Canelo’s turf. The bout against Madrimov, when he climbed up from welterweight, seemingly exposed a few chinks in Bud’s style.

Still, it will be futile to rule out the challenger completely. As Dmitry Bivol proved three years ago, Canelo can be beaten. So Terence Crawford needs to stick to BoMac’s game plan. He should avoid fights in pockets. That’s where Canelo thrives. Walking into the champion’s deadly body shots early in rounds could prove detrimental. If fighting on the outside as a southpaw is the game plan, then the fight could very well be Crawford’s.

What are your thoughts? How do you think the Canelo-Crawford fight plays out?