Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford met today for this week’s first face-off outside of the Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas. Both looked subdued, standing face-to-face with Turki Alalshikh and Zuffa Boxing promoter Dana White in between.

The Wedding-Like Face-Off

Fans on social media joked that Canelo and Crawford looked like they were getting married. Indeed, the way they were standing, it looked like a wedding ceremony, and Turki was the minister presiding over the couple, giving the “Repeat after me” vows before the ring went onto the fingers.

The way Canelo and Crawford looked at each other tenderly had a wedding-like quality. Hopefully, in the next face-off this week, they show some animosity.

Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) will be defending his undisputed super middleweight championship against Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) this Saturday, September 13th, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live on Netflix. This fight is the emerald gem of the card, with Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez’s super middleweight clash being a must-see undercard clash.

The Weight Gain Factor

“With the extra body weight, is he agile. Is the footwork going to move, move, move, still use the ring?” said Keith Thurman to Boxing with Mannix and Mora channel, questioning whether the added size Terence Crawford has packed on will slow him down for the Canelo Alvarez fight on Saturday.

That’s the magic question: Will Crawford’s weight gain slow him down, making him more hittable than he showed in his previous fight, 13 months ago against Israil Madrimov? If Terence is slow and lethargic from moving up 14 lbs from 154, his chances of making it to the 12th round are slim.

“And in the later rounds, seven, eight, nine, ten, as the pressure continues, [will Crawford be able to handle it]. Canelo has lost some of his bite. He hasn’t been as devastating, taking people out. That reestablishes the fight, and it’s in Bud Crawford’s favor there,” said Thurman.

Again, it could end badly for Crawford if he fades late from carrying around the weight. Canelo would need to push a fast pace to take advantage of this, as he’s fought very slowly in his last three fights. He’s allowed his opponents to stick around when they shouldn’t have.

“I know Bud wants it. He’s from my generation. He’s a true American. I wish him the best of luck, but I don’t doubt what Canelo is capable of,” said Thurman.