Eddy Reynoso Dismisses Weight Advantage Debate, Says Canelo vs. Crawford Will Define Era

It’s an avalanche! An avalanche of stats and records has descended on the boxing world. And why shouldn’t it be so? It’s not every day fans get to see a fight between two pound-for-pound greats. Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After months of speculation, the match finally made it through, and now it’s knocking at the doorstep. Just four days separate fans from watching a momentous clash. Yet, concerns prevail.

They primarily center around the physical differences. Throughout the lead-up, one narrative occupied the debates – Terence Crawford moving up two weight classes for the face-off. As press conferences and media catch-ups revealed, Crawford stands half an inch taller and wields superior reach. However, the size gap could be more of a mind game than reality. In fact, a few, close to the protagonists, seem to downplay the presumed disparity.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford: Size talk? More smoke than fire

The spotlight has his famous pupil on the crosshairs. Still, Eddy Reynoso isn’t far away from chipping in his views about the fight that could potentially define an era. Speaking with CNN’s Spanish-language service, the award-winning trainer, who has been in Canelo’s corner since the champion was 14, felt too much is being made about the height and weight. In any big cross-division fight, someone has to move up or move down to meet in the middle. That’s just the nature of these ‘superfights.’

Reynoso said, “There’s speculation out there that because he’s going up, or because he’s going down… but whenever there are these kinds of confrontations, there always has to be someone going up or someone going down, agreeing on the pounds.” Crawford appears confident about his prospects. That’s why he made the move up the divisions.

Reynoso pointed out how Crawford is taller than Canelo Alvarez. He acknowledged Crawford’s one key physical advantage. But he also stressed that Crawford’s team knows how to manage weight properly. So they’ll come in strong even at a different division. “He’s taller than Saúl, and they know how to work very well to make the weight properly,” he said.

According to Eddy Reynoso, the fight is bigger than belts or money. Whoever wins will not only take the victory but also the recognition of being the most dominant fighter of the last 15–20 years.

The doubts make more noise than they carry weight

Essentially, Reynoso may have toned down the physical disparity issue. He focused rather on the fight’s meaning. It’s about legacy, recognition, and proving which era’s champion truly stands above. What’s surprising here is many seem to echo the acclaimed trainer’s views.

Dissecting the fight on their show, ‘Hall of Game,‘ boxing great Roy Jones Jr., whose 1994 fight with James Toney still resonates across the boxing world, told Andre Ward, “I don’t think the weight is going to be a factor at all.” And his reasoning was simple.

“He’s (Crawford) coming from 75 or 80; he’s going to have to boil down to 68… I’m sure he went above 68 before he started training, so it’s like when you get to boil down to whatever you’re still boiling down. That boiling-down process your body understands once your body starts knowing and starts to realize or understand,” the Hall of Fame legend emphasized.

Much closer, Amir Khan, who has the rare distinction of facing both Canelo and Crawford, also believes the Nebraskan has been able to manage his weight well. He rather leaned on Crawford for a win.

Do you agree with Eddy Reynoso’s views?