Only one week remains before the big February 13 showdown between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford, with all four super middleweight world titles on the line. Unsurprisingly, a large number of boxing insiders are making their predictions. Among them is former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter, who faced Crawford back in November 2021.
On that occasion, Porter managed to keep the fight close for nine rounds, but suffered two heavy knockdowns in the tenth before his corner stopped the contest. Speaking to The Ring, the American shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated matchup.
Porter explained that while his heart will naturally support Crawford, he is able to set aside personal preferences and analyze the fight realistically. In his view, this is the perfect moment for the two fighters to meet, and both have the tools to win. He noted that Canelo has already been through numerous wars in the ring, while Crawford has not, and this gives “Bud” an advantage in terms of physical freshness. Porter added that Crawford will likely step into the ring at 100%, whereas Canelo is operating closer to 90% of his peak.
According to him, Canelo’s best chance lies in breaking Crawford down mentally, because he will not be able to simply overpower him physically. Porter admitted it will be a tough task for either man and described the fight as a true 50-50 matchup, the kind rarely seen in boxing. Still, he ultimately leaned toward Crawford as the one more likely to come out on top.