Recently, boxing insider and ES News founder Elie Seckbach revealed that there are rumors swirling around the Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez to happen sometime in 2025. However, he added, “I can’t find anyone who started this rumor. And I went to a lot of legitimate news outlets but no one has mentioned it.” Regardless, every boxing fan wants the fight to happen sooner rather than later, given Crawford’s age—he is 37 now.

The eagerly anticipated potential matchup between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez will probably be one of the most monumental boxing fights of the current generation. Fans and pundits alike are split, taking sides on who might emerge victorious in this showdown of pound-for-pound greats. On one side are those confident in Crawford’s technical prowess, while others place their bets on Canelo’s strength and experience. No one knows for sure who will win, which is what makes it such an interesting prospect. But, a prominent boxing commentator on the internet, Showbizz the Adult, believes that Crawford has less chance of winning the showdown than people are giving him credit for.

Floyd Mayweather is still a class apart

Yesterday, on his YouTube channel, ShowBizz the Adult took a critical stance on the growing comparisons between Terence Crawford and Floyd Mayweather in regards to the Canelo fight. He began, “Crawford is like Floyd Mayweather? I don’t agree. If you look at the punches Crawford gets hit with, if you look at his fight with Madrimov, just his last fight, most recent fight, the punches he got hit with Floyd Mayweather doesn’t get hit.” ShowBizz explained this by pointing out the stark contrast between the two fighters. What is the difference? Let’s find out.

If you remember the September 2013 match at MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, you will notice how it became clear that the Money’s experience was too much for the 23-year-old Canelo Alvarez. It was an easy win for the undefeated champion despite the draw score by one judge. In contrast, while Crawford ultimately won his fight against Israel Madrimov in August 2024 at BMO Stadium, in Los Angeles, he endured significant punishment, with Madrimov landing multiple clean shots throughout the bout. This, according to ShowBizz is evidence of why comparing Crawford to Mayweather is erroneous on the part of many boxing fans.

“Floyd Mayweather versus Canelo in comparison to Terence Crawford vs. Canelo-keep this in mind that Canelo Alvarez as a Floyd fought at a catchweight, alright. In this situation, Terence Crawford will be moving up three weight classes to Canelo’s world. That’s a huge distinction. It’s two weight classes now,” he contended.

This distinction is crucial because Terence Crawford, who previously competed in the welterweight division, moved up to the Junior Middleweight division to face and defeat Israil Madrimov in his most recent fight. Now, to fight Canelo Alvarez, Crawford would need to climb even further to the Super Middleweight division—a jump of two full weight classes and an additional 14 lbs. ShowBizz the Adult thus highlighted the challenges Crawford would face in moving up to Canelo’s weight class, a leap that is far more significant than when Mayweather fought Canelo.

He further elaborated, touching upon Crawford’s fighting style and why it might pose a problem against a powerhouse like Canelo. “Terence Crawford is a bit different here, and that’s something that I’ve noticed that people don’t talk about. They see him as Sweet Pea (Pernell Whitaker) for some reason, and he’s not. He’ll definitely fight you. And against Madrimov, it reared his ugly head, making the fight a bit closer. And I think he can’t afford to do that against Canelo,” explained ShowBizz the Adult.

ShowBizz’s comments emphasize that while Crawford is a phenomenal fighter, the comparisons to Mayweather and Whitaker, both of whom are defensive masters, might be overstated, especially when he is standing opposite someone as experienced as Canelo Alvarez. Thus, for ShowBizz, the outcome of their potential fight is not as complicated to figure out as most boxing fans think.

However, with predictions pouring in from all corners, the buzz surrounding this potential showdown doesn’t stop there. New speculations have emerged, adding fuel to the fire.

AI predicts a tough battle between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford

Even though ShowBizz presented a grounded analysis, the outcome of the match-up was posed to an AI recently by EssentiallySports that gave out an entirely surprising result. When the publication consulted artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT-4o to forecast the potential outcome of Crawford vs. Canelo, the results painted a fascinating picture.

According to the AI, the fight will possibly take place at “Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, given its magnitude.” According to the model, it would be a tightly contested battle but it leaned slightly in favor of Terence Crawford. The prediction highlighted Crawford’s ability to adapt and strategize as key to his potential success.

It also noted that while Canelo’s strength and experience in higher weight classes give him an edge, Crawford’s speed, precision, and ring IQ could neutralize these advantages. In the end, AI surprisingly favored Terence Crawford over Canelo Alvarez and predicted his victory “via split decision (115-113, 115-113, 113-115).” The model added, “Crawford’s technical brilliance and adaptability overcome Canelo’s power and pressure in a highly competitive and tactical bout.”

The potential clash between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing fights in modern boxing. While commentators like ShowBizz the Adult would have you believe in Canelo Alvarez, analytical tools like AI favor Crawford’s chances.

What do you think? Do you agree with ShowBizz the Adult’s perspective on Crawford’s vulnerabilities against Canelo? And, who do you believe has the upper hand in this much-hyped potential fight?