Almost every person in the boxing community has already dropped their prediction for the upcoming Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez blockbuster September fight. While many believe that Cinnamon’s huge size advantage makes him a clear winner, a handful of fans and experts argue that Crawford could defy the odds.

One of the few who considered Crawford as the favorite was none other than Jake Paul. Furthermore, as the only male boxer to go undisputed in two weight classes, if anyone can upset the apple cart, it is him, As the fight date moves closer, legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum has now weighed in with his take on the matchup.

Canelo Alvarez has no chance

In a chat with Sean Zittel, Bob Arum didn’t hesitate to pick Terence Crawford as his choice to beat Canelo Alvarez. “I like Crawford in that fight. I think Crawford is a better talent, he is a better athlete and a better boxer. And I just think he is gonna win the fight. But it is a terrific fight,” he stated.

Bud was a part of Top Rank promotions under Bob Arum from the start of his career till he went rogue in 2021. So, one might think that the 93-year-old promoter might be sentimental and biased towards his fighter. However, Arum genuinely believes that Terence Crawford can pull it off, and it is because of his ambidextrousness.

Arum claimed, “Also, Crawford has a rare ability of being ambidextrous and switching from southpaw to orthodox as the fight goes on. That’s going to befuddle Canelo. Like most fighters, he’s not dealt with that kind of opponent,” The Top Rank honcho believes that because of this ability only, Terence Crawford was able to make a light work of Errol Spence Jr. 

Only time will tell, whether it is a sentimental pick by Arum or not. However, it looks like Terence Crawford has already suffered a huge loss just by agreeing to fight Canelo Alvarez.

A big loss for Terence Crawford

Last year, the Omaha native moved up to 154 to conquer his fourth weight division. He was successful after defeating Israil Madrimov in a closely contested fight to win the WBA title and WBO interim championship. Now, eyeing Canelo Alvarez at 168, Crawford’s long-term dream, he’s ready to leap two more divisions.

Given the circumstances, Crawford has confirmed a departure from 154. That move cost him his WBO junior middleweight title. On March 21, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri made an announcement on X. “Re: WBO Jr. Middleweight Division (154 lbs.) 1. We have confirmed Terence Crawford will not return to the 154 lbs., division & will relinquish his Interim WBO title upon the official announcement of Canelo/Crawford. Therefore, his mandatory challenger status is moot,” his first tweet read.

Olivieri also named Xander Zayas, the WBO #1 ranked fighter, as the new mandatory challenger for Sebastian Fundora. However, coming back to Terence Crawford, is giving up the title worth it? Even though he still is the mandatory challenger to Fundora’s WBO belt, walking away from the title might be a gamble.

While the 154 division still boasts a strong lineup of talents, the absence of Terence Crawford will leave a void. Furthermore, no one can predict how he’ll fare against Canelo. Will he thrive at 168, or retreat to 154? It’s all up in the air, promising a wild ride for boxing fans.

Who do you have as your pick? Let us know your thoughts down below.