Longtime coach and boxing commentator Teddy Atlas spoke with Ring Magainze on his ideas on the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford struggle this fall, and why he’s seemingly leaning in the direction of Crawford to drag out the win over the naturally larger Canelo.
“By the historical past of the game has at all times been one of many best questions — who wins between the true good massive man and the true good little man?” Atlas mentioned. “That has been a query via the historical past of the game and we’re getting one other probability to reply that query.
“You may make arguments either side. ‘Effectively, Canelo is just too massive. He’s too massive and nearly as good as Crawford is, he stepped up with Madrimov and he struggled a bit of bit. He gained but it surely was extra aggressive than we thought.’ However we didn’t perceive how good Madrimov was as a result of we underestimated him as a result of he solely had 10 professional fights however he had 300 novice fights. He was an excellent, good, strong fighter.
“We began to knock down Crawford a bit of bit as a result of our expectations had been so excessive and that’s improper. That’s improper, he gained, he modified gears, he did what he needed to do when he realized the extent of this man in entrance of him and he acquired the win.
“However, once more, persons are going to say ‘Canelo is just too massive. He had hassle with a 154 pound man when he went up from welterweight, so now he’s going as much as 168.’…[I’m] gonna make an argument via the historical past of the game the place little guys have been capable of beat massive guys, since you reverse it. You reverse who’s acquired the benefit and the drawback.
“The scale, the ability of Canelo, then the entire sudden you return and also you say ‘hey, wait a minute, the opposite man’s sooner, the opposite man’s craftier, the opposite man has extra choices.’ Perhaps he’s acquired the benefits like the primary time Pacquiao fought De La Hoya — and I do know De La Hoya was having hassle with weight and all that, I get it and that’s truthful.
“On the finish of the day you might have an argument on either side, who actually has the benefit? I need to discover out…I’m one of many those that assume Crawford’s very, very particular. I’m not saying Canelo’s not however I believe he’s particular another way the place he’s acquired instincts not everybody has. It’s the timing, it’s the instinctual issues, the X elements…I believe they’re going to point out themselves, I actually do.
“And I can’t wait to see a smaller man use these intangibles, use these X elements to beat a much bigger man.”
