Terence Crawford may have it all to gain on September 13th against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, but he will lose one thing when he steps into the ring.
The fight against the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo gives Crawford a chance to make history by potentially being the first male to become a three-weight undisputed titleholder in the four-belt era.
While some say he is poised to have the ‘night of his life’ against Alvarez, it is still unknown exactly how he will adapt to the fifth weight class of his career against an established 168 lb king.
His last undisputed title came during his greatest career performance against Errol Spence Jr in a huge grudge match, which crowned ‘Bud’ the best welterweight of his generation with a ninth stoppage.
Terence Crawford will immediately lose one thing when he steps into the ring for the Canelo Alvarez fight
He is known for winning belts in multiple weight classes in style, with six knockouts in a seven-fight run in the super lightweight division to pick up all the belts.
But his most recent title win in the super welterweight division, in a fight where he was ‘pushed to the limit’ against Israil Madrimov, gained him another accolade.
The win made him the WBA champion, but the Omaha fighter has not defended it since the victory, instead opting to hold out for the super-fight against Alvarez.
This decision has now led the WBA president, Gilberto Mendoza Jr, to confirm, via Dan Rafael, that once the 37-year-old hears the sound of the bell, he will lose his title.
The resolution follows Abass Baraou’s shocking decision win over Yoenis Tellez last weekend to pick up the interim title.
When Baraou is elevated, he will have to make a mandatory defence against Jermell Charlo, a former Saul Alvarez opponent.
Terence Crawford’s farewell message to his hometown fans ahead of the Canelo Alvarez clash
Ideally, the American will want to replace that one accolade with multiple if he can dethrone the Mexican, and he is obviously not short on confidence.
A proud Omaha resident, he spoke to his fans before heading off for the final few weeks of camp and the fight itself with a farewell rally in his hometown.
Speaking to the adoring crowd, he said: I’ve been the underdog all my life. I’m comfortable. Being from Omaha, nobody expected me to be where I am right now.
“I’m going to make all those doubters at the end of the day, at the end of the fight, they’re all going to cry when they get home, and I mean that.”
No matter the result, he will always be considered a legend in his hometown of Omaha, which he has put on the map for his incredible successes in the boxing ring.