Middleweight Aaron McKenna says Terence Crawford would make a better fight for Canelo Alvarez if the bout was made at 164 catchweight instead of 168.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)
He sparred with Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) and was impressed by his technical skills and power. However, McKenna thinks the strength and size of unified super middleweight champion Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) would be a problem for Terence unless he agrees to come down a little lower with a hunting weight.
164 For a fair fight
Canelo probably won’t agree to give Crawford, 37, a handicap because he would be the star of their fight and has no reason to help the smaller fighter to give him an advantage. Crawford has talked about wanting to move up to super middleweight to challenge Canelo for his three titles for “legacy” purposes, but not fighting at the full weight of 168lb tarnishes him.
If Crawford wants a fight with Canelo badly enough, he will agree to go up to 168 to challenge him. It would be pointless for him to expect to be given a handicap.
“Canelo is the strongest fighter in the world at 168 at that weight. “If he was in the hunt, I think it would be a very good fight at 164,” Aaron McKenna told Pro Sean Zittel about Terence Crawford having a better chance of beating Canelo Alvarez if he is given a handicap because the contests are held four lbs under the 168 lb. limit.
“Crawford definitely has the skills to give him a lot of trouble, and he has the timing and the range. Only if he can withstand Canelo’s strength, but I think it would be a very good fight. 168, yes, but I think it would be even better if it was in hunting weight to be more on the line.
“It’s hard to catch him. You have to be calculated. You must not fail. You mustn’t overdo it. It has to be a perfect sparring match,” McKenna said of Crawford.
