“People come to spend money to see great fights and if the other fighter comes to run on the night and doesn’t make a good fight, it’s deception,” Canelo Alvarez told reporters during the press tour for his upcoming bout. With HE Alalshikh also expressing frustration over what he calls “Tom and Jerry fights,” it’s clear that expectations are sky-high for the September 13 showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Despite Canelo being the two-time undisputed super middleweight champion, Bud is making a bold move by jumping up two weight classes without any sort of rehydration clause in place.

Ring Magazine shared the 37-year-old’s perspective regarding the risky move in an Instagram post captioned: “Terence Crawford doesn’t want any stipulations to discredit a potential win vs Canelo Alvarez 😤.” Although Crawford is the naturally smaller man, he revealed there will be no weight restrictions on Canelo Alvarez on fight night. Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Omaha native explained his decision to forgo catchweight or rehydration clauses. His reason? “Because I want him at his best.”

“I don’t want no excuses. I don’t want no reasons why he don’t feel good or anything. I want him at his best,” Terence Crawford said, explaining why he didn’t push for any catchweight or rehydration clauses in the contract. He also revealed that he didn’t request a rematch clause either, though he didn’t clarify whether Canelo Alvarez has one if he loses. On paper, the two-division undisputed champion holds a slight physical edge with a 3½-inch reach advantage and a half-inch height advantage. And when the two fighters came face to face at the kickoff press conference, they appeared nearly identical in height and build.

Canelo Alvarez, however, is three years younger than Crawford and brings far more experience to the table. 26 more fights and 275 more rounds. And, by the time they meet under the bright lights in Las Vegas three months from now, Canelo Alvarez is expected to look visibly larger on Netflix’s global stage. He has been fighting at super middleweight (168 lbs) since 2018 and even stepped up to light heavyweight twice. One of those fights resulted in his second career loss, a decision defeat to Dmitry Bivol in 2022. His only other loss came back in 2013 against Floyd Mayweather. So when it comes to big-fight experience, the Mexican champion has plenty.

In contrast, Crawford, despite his technical brilliance, has only fought once at 154 lbs, a dominant unanimous decision win over Israil Madrimov for the WBA title in August last year. That performance, however, sparked debates about his power in higher weight classes. And that’s exactly why Canelo Alvarez doesn’t appear even remotely concerned about facing another four division world champion.

Why Canelo Alvarez might be the one challenge Terence Crawford can’t crack

Canelo Alvarez, who recently unified all four belts once again with a commanding win over William Scull, enters this bout firmly in his comfort zone, his preferred division. Confident in both his physical edge and experience, Canelo believes those factors will prove decisive. “I’ve been not favorite, a favorite. I’ve been in both situations but I’m going to be very disciplined,” he explained. “I have experience, power and I believe I have advantages on my weight. It’s going to be a good fight but I’m here to win.”

Crawford, on the other hand, isn’t rattled by critics who question his decision to move up. Instead, he’s channeling the doubts into motivation. “It just motivates me to go out there and put on a great performance. This is my homecoming fight,” Crawford said, making it clear that he’s stepping into the ring with a clear purpose.

Canelo Alvarez, for his part, views this showdown as one of the most significant moments of his career. “This is going to be one of my best fights in my history. For me it’s very important to win this fight. I love boxing. I love winning. I’m a winner so I’m very excited to be in the ring already,” he said. With so much at stake for both fighters, the anticipation is electric. So, what are your thoughts on Terence Crawford’s comment?