Boxing

Old Sparring Video Of Terence Crawford Sparks Skepticism Ahead Of Canelo Alvarez Fight

Old sparring footage between Terence Crawford and a current middleweight champion has resurfaced, drawing debate and doubt about "Bud's" chances at 168 lbs.
Johan Alyas Blanco|
IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

Terence Crawford is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, moving up two weight classes to take on undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. But an old sparring video is once again sparking debate about his chances to win the mega-fight.

The video shows Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) and current WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames going head-to-head, with Adames getting the better of "Bud" on several exchanges. Now it's being used by critics as a way to question Crawford's move to 168 lbs from his current division, 154 lbs.

The video reportedly dates back to when Crawford was a lightweight (135 lbs), which is a division he hasn't fought at since 2014. Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs) was fighting at welterweight (147 lbs) at the time, meaning there was at least a 12 lbs difference between the two boxers.

Despite the video being recorded a long time ago, critics use it as pinning point to why Crawford's size won't translate to super-middleweight. "Bud's" last fight was Aug. 3rd, 2024, where he beat Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision to win the WBA junior middleweight title, his first fight at 154 lbs. Now, he is jumping up 14 more pounds to fight the cash cow of boxing.

Although he has critics, many supporters have defended Crawford, pointing out that sparring sessions don't really emulate a real fight. Not to mention that sparring is usually the time for fighters to practice and implement new arsenals to their game.

The video may add fuel to the haters, but realistically it's not a representation of Crawford's odds against Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs). And on top of that, "Bud" is the rare breed of special boxers that could adapt to any scenario he's put in. He's not the No. 3 pound-for-pound in the Ring Magazine rankings for no reason.

Canelo vs Crawford is a fight that mixes the entertainment value of Riyadh Season with the narrative of the best fighting the best. Whatever happens Sept. 13th, let's hope it lives up to the hype.

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Johan Alyas Blanco
JOHAN ALYAS BLANCO

Johan Alyas Blanco is a writer for KO On SI. Before joining in March 2025, he worked as a News Producer in Tallahassee and Orlando. He also works for several fight promotions in boxing and MMA, working on social media content. When he’s not writing, Alyas covers boxing on his own YouTube channel, The Split Decision. Blanco has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from UCF, with a minor in sports business management. Alyas has interviewed several big names in combat sports, including Jorge Masvidal, Edgar Berlanga and Brian Norman Jr. His goal is to bring boxing back to prominence.

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