Strong contenders always make for compelling fights, but what truly elevates a bout into a global spectacle is legacy, bad blood, or a rich history between the fighters. Jake Paul may have been an outlier, capturing mainstream attention with a bizarre matchup against an opponent 31 years his senior, but traditionally, it’s storylines like those behind Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch or the high-stakes Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury bout that stir anticipation. Now, boxing fans have another massive event to circle on the calendar: this September, when Terence Crawford steps up two weight classes to face Canelo Álvarez.

Of course, the jump in weight and the clash of elite skill sets are enough to make this a marquee fight. But what adds to the magnitude is something more intangible, star power and spectacle. Remember when Floyd Mayweather Jr. drew 2.2 million PPV buys against a young 23-year-old Canelo, then shattered records with 4.4 million buys and $440 million in revenue against Manny Pacquiao two years later? Now, Bud Crawford believes his clash with Canelo could do even better.

Piracy is a real issue threatening the Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez blockbuster numbers

A few days ago, in a conversation with Shannon Sharpe, Crawford claimed, “There’s no fighter out right now that’s bigger than Crawford, Canelo. No fighter.” He acknowledged that while the idea of Canelo fighting David Benavidez is “a great fight,” he believed the historical dynamic of a “Black vs. Mexican” matchup brings an added cultural weight. “I’ve always did bigger numbers than anything. You know, besides Manny Pacquiao-Floyd and Floyd-Conor McGregor, but yeah.” He believed his fight with Canelo Alvarez had the same kind of cross-cultural and commercial pull.

The NFL Hall of Famer then brought up projections that estimate the Crawford-Canelo fight could generate somewhere between “$600 and $750 million” in revenue, pointing out that Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao hold the current record with “$600 million.” He asked Crawford if he thinks their fight could match or even surpass that.

“I don’t know,” the 41-0 boxer answered. But he acknowledged that it’s hard to compare because the landscape has changed dramatically. Crawford explained that today’s era is dominated by digital platforms and piracy, which makes it tougher to hit the same numbers as in the past. He even joked, stating, “My kids be talking about, ‘Oh yeah, I’m watching the UFC fights.’ I’m like, ‘I ain’t pay for no UFC fight.’ They watching it on their phones.”

He compared it to the early 2000s when artists were struggling to sell music because people were selling pirated CDs. Despite the challenges, Terence Crawford still believes the Canelo Alvarez fight will draw massive numbers and have a huge impact, even if it doesn’t break the all-time records. “I just think it’s going to do tremendous numbers,” he confirmed. But does Canelo Alvarez think the same?

Canelo Alvarez confident in beating Floyd Mayweather numbers but…

Canelo Alvarez believes his upcoming super-fight with Bud Crawford could eclipse even the massive pay-per-view numbers from his 2013 clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Why? After he defeats the undefeated IBF champion William Scull in 2 days, the Mexican superstar will face Crawford this September.

“I think it’s going to be bigger, even than the Mayweather fight (against me). It’s going to be bigger than that,” Canelo Alvarez said in an interview with IFL TV. Despite all the hype surrounding the Crawford bout, Canelo Alvarez made it clear he’s not looking too far ahead. “First things first, I am going to be focused on William Scull.”

While confident in the blockbuster potential of the Crawford fight, the Guadalajara native knows that getting past Scull, who’s unbeaten in 23 fights, is the immediate priority. With all that momentum building, do you think the revenue from Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford could truly skyrocket past previous records? And more importantly—when it’s all said and done—who do you see walking away with the win: the slick, undefeated Terence Crawford, or the battle-tested, four-division king Canelo Alvarez?