Trainer Abel Sanchez takes some time to break down the upcoming Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford match from his perspective, based on his many years of experience in the sport. Sanchez says while it’s hard for him to say he knows better than someone as accomplished as Crawford, he questions his approach to this fight and thinks he won’t be able to overcome Canelo’s natural size advantage. Here’s some of what he had to say below.
“In order to beat Canelo you have to be willing to take a shot and
press him and press him and make sure you keep him busy and keep him backing up, ”Sanchez said. “If you can’t muscle him, if you can’t be more effective than he is with his punches and push him back then you’re not going to beat him. You leave him on the outside he’s going to pick you apart, he’s going to pound your arms. He’s so damn strong like Gennadiy was. Guys like Bivol who were able to press him and be stronger than him and just keep activity on him, those are the kind of guys that are going to beat him.
“Terence, I don’t care if he goes up to 200 lbs, doesn’t have that in time…If he would’ve fought three or four guys already at that weight and build up his work ethic and his strength by competing and beating guys at that weight, then I could see it. But he’s ballooned up to whatever it is he is, which in my opinion is the worst thing he could’ve done. But then again who am I to question a Hall of Famer like that, right?
“But if it would’ve been me, I would’ve kept him at 170 lbs, the weight he’s going to fight at, that way he wouldn’t have to lose nothing, he’d be as strong as he can be at that weight instead of from what I understand he’s in the ‘90s. If he is, maybe that’s just hype, I don’t know, but if he is in the 90s he’s going to have to drop down to the high 60s, that doesn’t make any sense to me.
“But he’s a Hall of Famer, man. He’s a great fighter. I just don’t think that he’s big enough, I don’t think he’s strong enough to be able to muscle a Canelo. My opinion, the first three or four rounds Terence will have an advantage because of his hand speed, but once Canelo assimilates and gets used to the combinations coming at him I think it’s a sparring session again for Canelo as he’s had in the past…I see Canelo going away towards the end with a decision.”
