Controversy, setbacks, domination - The five fights that got us to Canelo vs Crawford

Canelo Alvarez versus Terence Crawford is almost here and two of the world’s best fighters will finally prove who is the best after a lengthy build-up. 

Getting to this point has been a long and arduous process for both men and each will be aiming to add one more impressive win to their illustrious records. 

Here, DAZN News looks at the fights that got us to this blockbuster event. 

Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol – May 2022 

Defeat for Canelo here signalled the end of his light-heavyweight dreams and abandoned his hopes of moving to cruiserweight where he was heavily linked to a showdown with Junior Makabu. 

Returning to super-middleweight kept Canelo in Crawford’s reach as a move to 175lbs would have likely been a step too far for the man from Nebraska. 

Canelo has gone on to dominate at 168lbs, but will that run come to an end on Saturday night when Crawford leaps two weight classes for what is the biggest test of his career? 

Canelo Alvarez vs Gennadiy Golovkin 3 – September 2022 

Canelo’s return to super-middleweight after the Bivol setback saw him renew hostilities with Gennadiy Golovkin after enduring two very tough fights with the Kazakh monster. 

The Mexican was in great form as his freshness counted for a lot in this bout and he once again proved himself as the world’s best super-middleweight. 

Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence – July 2023 

What was supposed to be the toughest test of Crawford’s career turned into a routine workout as he dominated Errol Spence from the outset before securing a late stoppage in round nine. 

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Crawford made it clear that Canelo was his main target and it became clear straight away that a major fight between the pound-for-pound pair was potentially on the horizon. 

Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov – August 2024 

 

On his way to super-middleweight, Crawford would pass through 154lbs as he added another world title to his collection with a points win against Israil Madrimov. 

Despite the victory, Crawford was pushed hard all the way against the bigger man, and this fight has been a constant reference point when discussing the outcome for Canelo vs Crawford. 

Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull – May 2025 

 

An eyesore of a fight, largely due to the negative tactics applied by William Scull, but what happened after the bout is perhaps more significant. 

Canelo’s head-to-head with Crawford confirmed that the boxing world was going to get a fight between two elite operators as the pair sized each other up four months before the first bell. 

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