Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez stands in the way of Terence Crawford’s bid for boxing history when they clash in Las Vegas for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight world title.
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Crawford, a four-division champion, is jumping up two weight divisions in a bid to become the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in three different categories.
Unbeaten with a record of 41-0 with 31 knockouts, Crawford previously claimed all four belts on offer at super lightweight and welterweight.
But the 37-year-old American will step into the ring at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, an underdog — not that he cares.
“I’m feeling great,” Crawford said earlier in the week. “I’m ready to go. Shock the world.”
Crawford has embraced his underdog status, making a point of calling out his critics throughout the build-up to the fight.
“I think people are underestimating everything about me,” he said. “From what everybody says, I haven’t fought anybody.
“It’s been a long time coming, it’s been long overdue,” added Crawford of the spotlight on him this week.
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Paro out to make a statement in WW debut | 01:50
Earlier on the preliminary card, Sona Akale was left fuming after the referee stepped in to stop his fight against middleweight Marco Verde.
Verde had been dominant for the majority of the fight, dropping Akale with a right hook in the second and looking in complete control in the third before landing a straight left hand in the fourth.
That saw referee Mark Nelson step in and while Akale had obviously fallen far behind on the scorecards, he didn’t look remotely at risk of being finished in that moment and was visibly frustrated with the decision.
“Oh my god. What are you doing? What is that?” Akale said.