Terence Crawford faces the biggest test of his career as he gears up to take on two-time undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on September 13 in Las Vegas. But before stepping into the ring, the 37-year-old found himself caught up in a very different kind of battle.

Earlier today, fellow Nebraskan and super middleweight boxer Steven Nelson shared an Instagram clip featuring the two sparring partners engaged in a playful—but—brutal power slap contest. According to Nelson, the showdown ended with a busted eardrum. Still, not everyone’s convinced, with some fans calling the incident staged.

Nelson gets slept by Terence Crawford

In the clip, the two fighters stand on opposite sides of a table, mimicking the setup commonly seen in power slap competitions. Crawford winds up and delivers a thunderous slap to Nelson’s face, followed by a loud crack—then, Nelson collapses to the floor, seemingly knocked out cold, while the two-division undisputed champion celebrates by screaming. “My face hurt, and I think @tbudcrawford busted my eardrum… I should have went first 😡👋🏾,” Nelson captioned the post. It’s worth noting that Crawford is jumping up two weight classes to face Canelo, an opponent seen as being considerably bigger than Bud. The video may be an attempt to showcase Crawford’s own power ahead of the high-stakes bout, where physical strength and size could be the deciding factor.

Regardless, Crawford and Nelson share a long-standing bond that dates back to their childhood. The two grew up training together, with Nelson even appearing on several of Crawford’s undercards over the years. Today, he plays a key role as a director at Crawford’s B&B Boxing Academy. Given their close friendship and shared history, it wouldn’t be a stretch to believe the clip was made to highlight Crawford’s dominance over a natural super middleweight ahead of the Canelo fight—and many fans seem to think exactly that.

Fans aren’t buying what Crawford’s selling

Since the clip was uploaded, hundreds of opinions have filled up the comment section. While some were concerned for Nelson, others called ‘cap’ on the clip and Crawford’s slap. One user praised Nelson for his brilliant acting skills. “Good acting. All fingers. Lol,” the user wrote. If that’s the case, Nelson is proving to be more than just a training partner—he’s a true friend.

The next user had a similar idea after watching the clip. “Definitely a fake smack 😂😂,” the user commented. Meanwhile, another, echoing the sentiment, added, “🧢(Cap) af! in them slides too!!! foh lol.” However, it’s not hard to imagine why it managed to convince others that it was real.

Someone else also thought it wasn’t real, but liked one thing about it. “He ain’t even slap you fr but it looked cool😭,” the user commented. From the looks of the video, Crawford might have a stellar career in Dana White’s Power Slap.

Meanwhile, this user seems to have dissected the clip thoroughly. “Only the trained eye can see the small adjustments that made for a great movie shot. 👏If @tbudcrawford connected properly, his body would have collapsed differently,” the user commented. However, it was fairly clear that Crawford’s slap landed just a fraction of a second before Nelson’s face.

Another user ignored the clip entirely and asked Crawford to get back to work. “Stop playing and get ready for Canelo, please 🙏 😂🔥🔥,” the user commented. It’s yet to be seen whether Crawford can deliver such power during the fight. 

That being said, despite a great effort from Steven Nelson, he seems to have failed in convincing people about Terence Crawford’s power. However, what did you think of the clip? Do you think it was a real slap?