Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre is a busy man. He’s already focused on the thrilling event that’s set to take place tomorrow. At ‘The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ Chelsea Ballroom, long-time pupil Steven Nelson will face Diego Pacheco. Then, next month on Valentine’s Day, rising star Keyshawn Davis will put his training to the test against Denys Berinchyk. However, many fans might have guessed correctly. Deep down, the 2023 Trainer of the Year recipient has only one fight on his mind. Although still unconfirmed, his standout protégé, Terence Crawford, could potentially face Canelo Alvarez by September.

As expected, the talk of this once-in-a-lifetime matchup has sparked a frenzy of speculation and rumors. One of the most common topics of discussion remains the rehydration clause. Essentially, a rehydration clause is a rule that says, “You can’t be much heavier when we fight – you have to stay close to what you weighed in at today.” The concerns likely stem from the significant weight difference between Crawford and Alvarez. Before moving up to 154 pounds, the Nebraskan southpaw was almost three weight classes lighter than Alvarez. But’ BoMac,’ being ‘BoMac,’ dismissed the idea entirely.

Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre: Forget the excuses; let’s settle it in the ring

Ring Magazine’s Rikki Soumpholphakdy recently caught up with ‘BoMac’ at a Las Vegas gym. “I heard there were rumors, you know, people talking that you guys don’t want a rehydration clause in the event that the fight does happen. Do you guys not want one?” asked Soumpholphakdy. McIntyre shared that he doesn’t care how much weight the opponent gains after the weigh-in. If the opponent gains too much weight and becomes sluggish or negatively affected by being ‘too big,’ then that’s the opponent’s issue, not his or Crawford’s. “I don’t give a damn about that. It only gets so big; it gets too big, then that’s on him,” responded Terence Crawford’s longtime trainer.

The reporter pressed on, asking if ‘BoMac’ still believed Crawford could win the fight without a weight limit for rehydration. ‘BoMac’ expressed full confidence in Crawford’s ability to win the fight regardless of the weight issue.

However, Soumpholphakdy had some doubts. “Because you know in the past, most guys, when they’re fighting bigger guys like that, that’s gonna be the first thing that they want,” he asked. Brian McIntyre replied, “That’s some bullsh*t.”

According to ‘BoMac,’ the entire concept of a rehydration clause is nonsensical. He finds it ridiculous when people say, “Oh, you can’t come in this much and sh*t.” In his view, once the official weight is made, it’s up to the fighter how they handle their weight afterward. “You accepted the fight, so let’s just get in the ring and fight like real fighters,” BoMac’ McIntyre concluded.

Top Comment by Milton Mccants

In all fairness to each fighter’s, I think that the two of them should come in weighing closer to the...more

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Debate

The perpetually debated clause

Perhaps the situation became confusing after the Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis fight, which is where the term ‘rehydration clause’ gained wider attention. However, it’s about time for clear thoughts and communication on this issue to prevent any further confusion.

For context, a few days ago, Mike Coppinger made it clear: no official contracts have been signed yet. However, there’s a strong possibility that Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford could meet during Mexican Independence Day Weekend in September if everything is finalized. “And as Crawford said all along, it would take place at 168 pounds with no rehydration clause,” said ESPN’s boxing insider.

What about you? Do you think there should be a rehydration clause for the Canelo-Crawford fight?