A fighter who has sparred Terence Crawford has felt his power, but thinks Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will have no problem with it.
‘Bud’ Crawford has knocked out 31 of his 41 opponents since turning professional, and with that has won titles in four weight divisions.
Another weight class awaits the decorated pound-for-pound star and the chance to become a three-division undisputed champion if he beats Canelo on September 13th.
Alvarez has a secret sparring weapon in Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, who is helping him prepare for the switch-hitting style of the Omaha boxer.
Ex-Terence Crawford sparring partner reveals why his power won’t work on Canelo Alvarez
The American has also opted to replicate the size and skills of the Mexican by choosing the undefeated Guatemalan boxer Lester Martinez.
He has also sparred fighters from the 154 lb division, where he was once ‘pushed to the limit’ by Israil Madrimov, with Fernando Vargas Jr giving him some great rounds in the past.
Vargas Jr is set to face Callum Walsh on the undercard of the Las Vegas super-fight and has revealed exactly how he believes the main event will play out.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, the 28-year-old provided his breakdown: “Early, I feel Terence will have great success. Maybe he’ll get Canelo’s head snapped back or, you know, catch Canelo early.
“But I say sixth, seventh, eighth round, I think he’ll figure him out. We need Canelo to get a stoppage. If not, get a knockout. I think it’ll be great for Mexico.”
‘El Feroz’ was full of respect for Crawford and even told of how he always makes an effort to speak to his illustrious boxing family at events.
However, he gave his explanation of why his power is not going to work on the 35-year-old from his experience of past sparring sessions.
“I felt his power, but then again, I’m not Canelo. Canelo, you see the videos of him rolling on the neck, and Canelo’s strong. I just want to see if Crawford is able to withstand that punch,” he said.
“Once it’s the sixth, seventh, eighth round, and you’re sitting a little bit more, you’re not using your footwork, you’re not turning as much.
“If Crawford can withstand that, I could see Crawford winning. But I just feel he won’t be able to take Canelo’s best shot.”
Canelo Alvarez’s sparring partner believes he is on the decline before the Terence Crawford fight
Conversations with sparring partners have been rife for this fight, and Sean Hemphill, who was brought in to spar with Alvarez, has given his own expert view.
In his interview with Boxing News, Hemphill told of how ‘incredible’ the opportunity was to spar the legendary fighter, and it gave him great experience for future fights.
However, when quizzed on his thoughts about the boxer’s supposed decline in recent years, the prospect said: “He probably is on a decline a little bit, but he’s still a hell of a fighter.
“(He has) probably got a few more fights in him. He’s had a lot of fights over a long period of time. Boxing is very grueling on the body, so we’ll see.”
The 29-year-old was not drawn on a prediction, feeling he should sit this one out, but advised Crawford not to let Canelo ‘pressure’ him because that would lose him the contest.