Inside Canelo vs. Crawford: As Las Vegas holds its breath, boxing’s best sit on the doorstep to immortality

LAS VEGAS — A floating stage in front of the lavish Bellagio resort provided the backdrop as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez faced off with Terence Crawford for the first time on fight week, with fountains erupting in choreographed bursts behind them.

Las Vegas has staged monstrous events through the years, but boxing in 2025 needs a blockbuster more than ever with the sport in relative disarray. Two of boxing’s U.S. old guard, Premier Boxing Champions and Top Rank, are on the ropes — one with limited dates, and the other with no confirmed broadcast partner at all. The industry needs success to remind its backers that it’s still worth investing in.

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Confrontation usually defines box-office promotion. Yet as water thundered into the air and splashed behind the headline fighters, “Canelo” and Crawford stood calm. They raised their hands to pose for the international media, and reminded fans that it’ll be those same fists that will do all the talking when they collide Saturday atop a 10-bout Netflix card inside the Allegiant Stadium.

It’s strange to think now that Alvarez’s most obvious opponent from the lighter weight classes was never supposed to be Crawford. But, considering the Nebraskan’s Michael Jordan-esque competitiveness, Crawford probably took that personally.

Before 2023, Errol Spence Jr. was the name.

After beating Kell Brook in Brook’s own country and returning to the U.S. from the U.K. with the IBF welterweight title, Spence tore through the 147-pound division from 2017-22, beating Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. He was linked with Manny Pacquiao — a testament to his abilities not just in the ring, but as one of PBC’s top attractions on pay-per-view.

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The fight fans craved most, though, was Spence vs. Crawford.

Spence’s former trainer Derrick James told me often that it had to wait until every belt was captured between them. Undisputed was the only way to settle No. 1.

Within PBC, some believed a win would propel Spence to an AT&T Stadium showdown against “Canelo.” I thought the weight gap made that far-fetched, but Crawford never did.

What he couldn’t accept was that Spence, not him, was the one being linked to “Canelo.” And so he set out to destroy Spence ruthlessly so he could seize the “Canelo” fight for himself.

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Behind the scenes, industry insiders were dubbing Spence vs. Crawford as a Super Bowl for American boxing. And dang, did it deliver. I’ve never seen a crowd dripping with so much glamour. Big-time boxing was back.

With Eminem in his entourage, Crawford walked out to “Lose Yourself,” and stayed composed enough in the moment to deliver an unrelenting thrashing. It was one of the more impressive beat-downs I’ve ever covered live.

Since then, Crawford has boxed just once — a routine win over Israil Madrimov that did little to enhance his legend. That lull may have fed Alvarez’s initial dismissal — that Crawford was “too small,” and that beating him would earn “no credit.”

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So, what changed?

Well, judging from what “Canelo” told Uncrowned himself this week, it was about the chance to etch his name alongside yesteryear’s greats — fighters from previous eras who engaged in fights across separate weight classes, like Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya, Roberto Duran against Sugar Ray Leonard, and Marvin Hagler against Thomas Hearns.

Crawford, for “Canelo,” could be this era’s big one.

“At the beginning, when everybody started talking about the fight, I never paid any attention in my mind,” the Mexican told Uncrowned. “But after a lot of talk, they really come and offer me the fight — and you can see how big this fight is.

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“Everybody involved — Netflix, Riyadh Season — can see how big this is. Two of the best fighters in this era fighting each other.”

In accepting Crawford, “Canelo” created a superfight that boxing desperately needed.

It all helps make Saturday’s showdown historic. The winner will leave Las Vegas as undisputed champion at 168 pounds, and, perhaps, as the sport’s pound-for-pound No. 1-ranked boxer. The victor may come to define the 2020s.

For “Canelo,” it’s about silencing critics who dared to suggest that he’s lost a step. He already commands boxing’s richest purses, one of its most loyal fan bases, and has fought on its grandest stages. But beating Crawford — particularly if by knockout — would reinforce his status not only as the sport’s biggest draw, but its most enduring champion who has defeated elite boxers across multiple eras.

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For Crawford, it’s about chasing immortality. He’s conquered lightweight, super lightweight, and welterweight. If he climbs to super middleweight and dethrones “Canelo,” he doesn’t just add hardware — he forces his way into conversations with The Four Kings, with Pacquiao, and with Floyd Mayweather.

Now, Las Vegas waits.

The fountains have gone silent.

Allegiant Stadium looms, ready to welcome more than 65,000 fans.

The stage is set for “Canelo” to defend his throne at 168 pounds, or for Crawford to shock the world once more and take his own place among the greats.