Boxing

Like Terenca Crawford, he landed in the fight of Canelo Alvarez

Published

1 year ago

September 12, 2025

Las Vegas-soon after increasing the weight and winning in the nearest fight of his career, Terenka Crawford-a then on his 37th birthday-was on the jump of two divisions to fight with the unquestionable champion of 168 pounds, Canelo Alvarez. It was 13 months ago. Crawford turned to the audience: his patron, Saudi financier of Arabia’s boxing, Turki Alalshikh.

Even according to boxing standards-I utilize this term, because boxing has only few and dubious standards-it seemed that it was a semi-transparent idea. Alalshikh gave him a look. “But weight?” He said.

In fact, it was more than weight. Both history and common sense are favored not only by a naturally larger person, but a younger and so -called “page”. In combination with Canelo – a leading box of boxing, who already generated almost half a dollars in bags – Crawford was none of these things. What’s more, he would do it without insisting on any of the usual contractual courtesy designed even for the purpose: without a weighing clause, without rehydration clause.

Alalshikh proposed a few very lucrative, though more reasonable, alternatives: Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Jaron “Boots” Ennis, each of them undefeated adolescent stars with great ambition at 154 pounds. Crawford refused to play in any option. “The shoes are not megafight,” he said. “Vergil Ortiz is not megafight. This is the end of my career. They will say,” You were supposed to win. ” I want Canelo Alvarez. “

He wanted a fight he was about to win.

“OK,” said Alalshikh, refraining. “I’ll try to fight for you.”

“This is the fight I want,” said Crawford.

From here, thirteen months Canelo and Crawford will fight on Saturday at the Allegian stadium. Canelo agreed to fight in return for a purse, which is considered to be exceeding $ 100 million (“more”, announced at the Thursday press conference) – an offer that even a leading man could not refuse. But it all started with Crawford. “That’s how we got here,” he says.

The generation of fighters began to look at Canelo less as a rival than the result, jackpot, career payment. It seems that their victories were signed by contracts, not fighting fights. But Crawford looks at Canelo as his white whale, something he persecuted long before this meeting with Alalshikhem: an existential correction on everything that he thinks affected his career, a response to every little return to amateurs, from warriors who would not fight him to promoters, who would not be able to promote him, the source of eternal respect and rewind. But if he wins.

In fact, Crawford has been studying Canelo since at least 2015, when he appeared in Mandalay Bay to see how Alvarez defeated the future of Hall of Famer, Miguel Cotto, for his first title in medium weight. For comparison, Crawford has maintained the title WBO Junior Welter Wweight. “I didn’t think that the fight against Canelo would be something,” he says. “We were too far in weight classes.”

Gradually, however, this would happen. In 2021, Crawford-at that time, a welterweight master, although there is a desperate lacked opponents, ”Alvarez said in the fight with someone named Avni Yildirim in Miami. Canelo, currently the 168-Funt WBC champion, knocked out Yildirim in the third round. But even as he did, the grain was planted. Crawford would not mention it in public, but it was in his mind.

However, by 2023 he began a behind -the -scene campaign to land in the fight against Canelo. At the end of this year he met with the then president of WBO Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel in Puerto Rico and moved this idea.

“I was shocked,” recalls Valcarcel. While Crawford defeated Errola Spence Jr. that he would not have been in question in 147 pounds, Canelo – who has already won the title of world champion in cocato in 175 – he was unquestioned in 168. “Why don’t you wait a few years?” Valcarcel announced gently.

“Waiting,” Crawford appointed, citing his age. “I can beat him.”

Until now, Crawford regularly performed in the Kanelo fighting struggle, and the victory of Canelo on Jermell Charlo was still fresh in his mind. Charlo, who appeared from 154 pounds, was dropped in round 7. Then it was all she painted. “He didn’t fight for winning,” says Crawford of Charlo. “He just fought for survival.”

In many respects, Canelo-Charlo has become a too celebrated template in Alvarez’s career curve: a single knocking, which predictively predictably a unanimous decision. This was the case with Canelo’s victories with such as John Ryder, Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga.

“They wanted to pay,” Crawford tells me. “They didn’t want to win the fight. The output of 12 rounds was a victory for them.”

If Canelo’s latest victory – for whom Crawford traveled up to Riyjad in Saudi Arabia – there was even a lack of knocking down pro forma, his opponent, William Scull, he didn’t mean anything that survival. Meanwhile, Crawford fights only to destroy himself.

To say, if it is candid to judge Canelo based on previous performances, what about Crawford? His last fight, transfer to 154 and winning, if the unanimous decision about the respectable Israil Madrymov was not in the Canelo case.

“Madrimov taught me patience,” says Crawford. “He was so Herky-Jerky and so explosive,” back there, all these crazy fools. But Canelo doesn’t have it in her arsenal. I don’t have to worry about it. “

What about age? Alvarez is 35 years elderly. Crawford has two weeks from his 38th birthday, elderly according to the standards of any division in each era, and certainly is not the optimal time to jump over many divisions. On the other hand, Alvarez fought at least 520 rounds (maybe more, because it is believed that there are several early fights that have never reached the records) as a professional. He had two competitive fights with the hardly striking Genadiy Golovkin and losses from Floyd Mayweather, and recently Dmitry Bivol. For his part, Crawford was never beaten or beaten in 245 rounds. Who is older in boxing years? I’m wondering.

“It’s for sure,” says Crawford. “He began to fight a professional at the age of 15.”

Despite this, Alvarez remains not only the “party”, but for the economy. Given that the fight takes place at the weekend of Mexico Independence, it will certainly be a pro-channel crowd, but what’s more, Canelo will be the alleged beneficiary of any doubts about the results of the judges. Crawford doesn’t agree. He knows that he cannot fight a typical fight, which includes a relatively leisurely beginning when he draws his opponent’s tendencies. He must start quickly.

“Of course,” he says. “I have to give a tone. You need to give a tone from Canelo – to inform the judges that you put the rounds into the bank. I look at it: one round at once. I do not go in and try a knockout in the first round. Just put rounds in the bank. And make sure you win these rounds decisively.”

The way Crawford explains this – the way he explains it for years – makes his existential matter, well, is completely reasonable. Maybe in this way you hunt for white whales, even those with red hair, when the only thing you want is what you should not have.

Boxing

Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro

Published

12 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro"

A formal press release was issued today announcing the December 19 welterweight title unification between Devin Haney and Liam Paro at San Francisco’s Chase Center, and in anticipation of the meeting with a co-feature of Brian Norman vs Abel RamosHaney shared his excitement for what he expects to be another successful outing to snag some more hardware.

“My resume speaks for itself,” Haney said. “I’ve never been afraid to go into a champion’s backyard and put my record on the line. I went to Australia, took George Kambosos’ belts, and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world. Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard. This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home.
“Oakland is where my story started, and the Bay Area has always been part of who I am. The Valkyries just brought a championship to Chase Center, and on December 19, I plan to keep that championship energy going.

“I made history in Australia. Now it’s time to make history at home.”

Paro, however hopes to upset the odds, knowing he’ll be coming into this fight as a decided underdog.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis,” Paro said. “I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it’s here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard.

“I’ve never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people. Devin’s a great fighter and I respect that. But I’ve been the underdog plenty of times and I’ve made history before. December 19, I’m coming to unify the division and make more history.”

With the WBO and IBF welterweight world titles on the line, one fight will be heading into the new year halfway to undisputed.

Boxing

Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown

Published

12 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown"

Liam Paro served as supporting cast the last time Devin Haney headlined at Chase Center. Come December 19, he walks into San Francisco carrying the IBF welterweight title, gunning to strip Haney of his WBO strap.

Three years transformed Paro from an undercard face into a headline attraction. He watched Haney shut out Regis Prograis from the locker room in December 2023. Now he commands the marquee, even if getting US fight fans to open their wallets on pay-per-view presents an uphill battle.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis. I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it is here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard. I have never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people,” Paro stated.

The Australian proved his mettle by snatching the 140-pound crown from Subriel Matias on hostile soil. Richardson Hitchins took it right back six months later, checking Paro’s momentum before mainstream crowds took notice.

The jump to 147 pounds provided the reboot he needed. Three straight wins, capped by a gritty points victory over Lewis Crocker to claim the IBF strap, set the stage for this encounter.

Haney ends a lengthy layoff on home turf. Sitting out more than twelve months makes asking fans to purchase a DAZN PPV against a fighter unknown to mainstream viewers a tough sell. Belts by themselves rarely move the needle at the box office.

Brian Norman Jr. takes on Abel Ramos in the ten-round co-feature. Norman dropped his WBO belt to Haney last November and must now accept undercard placement on his conqueror’s bill.

Paro earned his position the hard way. December 19 decides if his punch output can upset the hometown favorite or if Haney cruises behind his jab.

Boxing

Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilders Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry

Published

13 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilder's Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry"

Tyson Fury sees little point in Deontay Wilder stepping inside a ring again, an inconvenient stance given Wilder’s spot on his upcoming December 11 card. Labeling the former champion “shot to bits” severely undercuts Jai Opetaia’s heavyweight entrance, turning a marquee pairing into an exercise in past glory.

Wilder meets the undefeated cruiserweight ruler at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, supporting the Netflix headliner between Fury and Anthony Joshua. Opetaia carries a spotless 31-0 record into the division. Wilder enters at 45-4-1. While the American’s presence guarantees instant marquee value, Fury openly questions if any real substance remains.

“Silly for Deontay’s part,” Fury remarked to FightHype regarding the bout. “He shouldn’t be nowhere near a ring. It’s a dying shame that this man has to continue to fight when he’s shot to bits.”

Fury argued Wilder should have walked away after their brutal 2021 trilogy finale. He referenced Wilder’s narrow split decision over Derek Chisora in April to illustrate the decline, pointing out that Chisora walked through shots that once ended nights instantly.

This goes well beyond standard fight banter or favoring the younger fighter. Fury insists any ring appearance by Wilder is a mistake, no matter the rival. Sharing thirty rounds across three savage encounters gives his assessment real credibility, even with his typical theatrical flair taken into account.

That leaves promoters with an awkward narrative. Wilder’s box office appeal relies entirely on the sudden violence of his equalizer. If the card’s headline attraction claims that thunder is gone, fans are paying for nostalgia rather than prime danger.

Opetaia faces a distinct reputational limit because of it. A dominant performance adds a legendary heavyweight scalp to his ledger, yet it will not convince skeptics he can challenge the division elite. Fury provided the counterargument months in advance: the opponent should have stepped away long ago.

The move up remains hazardous for the Australian. Stepping up in weight brings obvious physical disadvantages, and assuming Wilder is completely toothless would be reckless. Opetaia must rely on sharp footwork, making the veteran chase shadows instead of giving him a stationary target.

Diminished skills can still pack enough punch to alter someone venturing north of 200 pounds. Even so, this version barely resembles the wrecking ball who defended the WBC belt ten times.

Fury tore through the promotional sheen around this contest. Opetaia gets his crack at the famous Bronze Bomber name, but the card’s top star insists the man in Cardiff belongs in the crowd, not under the lights.

What’s interesting is how Fury is eager to declare Wilder finished, yet plenty of fans see his main event with Joshua as two faded names cashing in before the wheels fall off completely.

If Joshua catches him and puts him away early, the reaction will be merciless. The narrative will immediately flip to Fury being a shell of the giant who outboxed Wladimir Klitschko or battered Wilder in their rematch.

When a fighter spends years taking heavy punishment, blowing up between camps, and showing diminished punch resistance, the drop-off rarely happens gradually. It comes all at once.

Ever since the Francis Ngannou knockdown, Fury’s aura of invincibility has vanished. He was hurt badly and dropped by Oleksandr Usyk, and even in his recent bouts against big punchers like Arslanbek Makhmudov, he showed far less mobility and far more vulnerability to clean shots. His legs do not bail him out of trouble the way they used to.

Joshua rebuilt his career against lower-tier opposition, Kristian Prenga, and a crossover fight with Jake Paul, but the memory of being taken apart by Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk, and flattened by Andy Ruiz Jr. never truly disappeared. He remains cautious, mechanical, and prone to freezing.

If Joshua lands the clean right hand and flattens him, Fury will not have any room to complain about the commentary that follows. You cannot publicly brand your former rival a walking corpse on your undercard, then expect sympathy when the boxing public decides Father Time caught up to you on the very same night.