Canelo Alvarez Questions Terence Crawford’s Mental Fortitude, Citing An Unfamiliar Grand Stage

Canelo Alvarez predicts that Terence Crawford will be intimidated by fighting in front of the large crowd at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on September 13th. Alvarez believes that Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) could be unnerved fighting in front of a massive crowd for the first time in his career.

Allegiant Stadium’s Intimidation Factor

That could throw him off because he won’t have the fans eating out of the palm of his hand like he’s accustomed to when fighting in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

“He’s one of the best fighters. He accomplished a lot of things. A Mexican with an American fighter is always big,” said Canelo Alvarez to Ring Magazine, talking about Terence Crawford. “It’s going to be different for him. We’ll see how he handles that thing,” said Canelo on Crawford fighting in front of a large crowd at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

In Crawford’s fight against Israil Madrimov on May 3, 2024, at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, he fought in front of a crowd of 23,000. The difference is that the fans were cheering for Crawford because he was the A-side.

Many of the fans were seeing Madrimov for the first time. In contrast, the Allegiant Stadium seats 65,000 and can be expanded to 72,000. The fans that are in attendance will likely mostly be cheering for Canelo, as he’s the superstar in this fight. He’s also fought in Las Vegas more than Crawford.

Las Vegas Experience

“I don’t think Crawford is that kind of fighter,” said Canelo when asked if Terence is going to move around a lot in their fight. “He boxes, and I like that. I’m focused on Crawford, and then we’ll see,” said Alvarez on whether he’s interested in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

Crawford may not move as much as William Scull did in his fight with Canelo on May 3, 2025, but he’s still going to be on his bike much of the time. In Terence’s last fight against Israil Madrimov, he was frequently moving around, trying not to get hit. That’s why he came close to losing. Madrimov was the one pushing the fight, taking it to Crawford.

Rattling Crawford’s Resolve

“As soon as he feels the power, it’s going to be the same,” said Canelo when asked if, as soon as Crawford feels his power, he stops exchanging with him. “I don’t know. He’s a very good fighter, a smart fighter, and very disciplined,” said Alvarez on whether Crawford can hurt him.

It makes sense what Canelo says about Crawford electing not to engage once he gets hit. In the three big punchers Crawford has fought during his 17-year pro career, Madrimov, Yuriorkis Gamboa, and Egidijus Kavaliauskas, he moved around a lot. Against Errol Spence, Terence didn’t do much because he appeared weight drained, slow, and his reflexes looked poor.