THE number one draw in boxing takes on its pound-for-pound star this Saturday in a Las Vegas headliner whose intention is to reignite the sport in the USA.

Canelo Alvarez defends his undisputed super-middleweight crown against four-weight world champion Terence Crawford in a matchup where size, age, and prevailing skill sets are paramount.

The first fight to land at the Allegiant Stadium, around 65,000 fans will be in attendance, with tens of millions tuning in via Netflix subscriptions across the globe.

With fight sports audiences switching their attentions to UFC or influencer-style boxing, the sweet science has struggled to connect with modern Americans.

The explosion of the NBA and NFL over the last 40 years looms large over boxing, with athletes and fans opting for the riches of the court or turf over the perils of the ring.

But after Turki Alalshikh emerged to become the predominant figure in the sport, the billionaire chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority sought out a solution to boxing’s waning popularity in North America.

His answer: Dana White, president of the UFC, and power figure within TKO Holdings, also home to the WWE.

Zuffa Boxing makes its promotional debut here on Saturday night and fight fans around the world are anticipating a seminal moment for the ring.

CANELO

Alvarez, 35, has been the biggest name in boxing for the last decade, ever since old foe Floyd Mayweather hung up his gloves.

In Mexico and Latin America, especially, Canelo is an icon.

A veteran of 26 world title fights, Canelo has belts from four weight classes, starting at 11 stone up to 12 and a half—or light-middle to light-heavyweight, in boxing terms.

This will be his seventh stadium fight, having won the previous six, and his 63-2-2 record includes a who’s who of names from the previous and present generations.

After unifying the super-middleweight division inside 11 months, Canelo’s status as the pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet was solidified.

But that was back in 2021. Boxing, like life, moves quickly, and despite a succession of routine defences, a new crop of undisputed champions have drawn fans’ attention.

Heavyweight kingpin Oleksandr Usyk, Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue, and Omaha, Nebraska’s own Bud Crawford have shone inside the ring.

BUD

Crawford, 37, is unbeaten in 41 fights and aims to become the only boxer of this four-belt era to be crowned undisputed in a third weight class.

Already a four-weight world champion, he beat Scotland’s Ricky Burns for his first belt as a lightweight in 2014, before going on a 19-world-title-fight crusade.

Bud came up the hard way, having to navigate boxing’s political system. There was no fanfare when he turned pro aged 20, he’s had to earn everything he’s got with his own two hands.

Perhaps that is why he’s now every fighter’s favourite fighter, not only due to his formidable style but that determination to maximise his potential.

DOES SIZE MATTER?

The main topic of conversation out here in Vegas is in regard to size.

Is Canelo simply too big for Crawford, who has never even fought at middleweight, never mind the weight class above?

Is Crawford, at 37 and already a surefire Hall of Famer, just cashing out his status by jumping in with the golden goose of the ring?

Or, is weight class irrelevant? And has Crawford timed his climb to the most bountiful table in boxing to a tee, catching Canelo on the slide?

The Mexican hasn’t had a stoppage win since 2021; that’s seven fights, easily the longest run without a finish in his 20-year career.

Technically, switch-hitter Crawford is the better boxer. Once he gets an opponent hurt, he pulls the trigger, and right now he’s at the peak of his powers.

However, Bud has never been hard to hit either, and, in his last fight last summer, he looked a little sluggish up at light-middle.

There is no doubt that Canelo is slowing down and isn’t the same athlete he was five years ago. But he’s made for the big stage, and revels in these moments.

But there is an air of greatness emanating from Crawford.

A sense he could have long enjoyed the adoration afforded to Canelo had he been presented with a similar era of legacy-enhancing opponents.

This is his moment. This is the fight where Crawford can grow from today’s pound-for-pound star to one of boxing’s all-time greats.

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