Canelo Alvarez Confident Ahead of Crawford Clash: "He's Not Me"

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez made it clear that Terence Crawford is no match for him as the two boxing legends began their media tour in Saudi Arabia. The highly anticipated fight, set for September 13 in Las Vegas, will see Alvarez defend his undisputed super-middleweight world championship. Despite the hype surrounding the bout, Alvarez confidently downplayed the idea of a close contest.

"He's a great fighter, but he's not Canelo. I have the experience," Alvarez stated during a press conference. "People only focus on my power, but I bring more to the table. This fight will be one of the best in my career."

At 34, Alvarez is three years younger than Crawford but boasts an impressive resume, including 11 world titles, 27 world-title fights, and 67 professional bouts. Having made his debut at just 15, the Mexican champion is widely regarded as the fighter to pass the torch to Crawford. However, Alvarez remained unfazed, saying, "He's not going to beat me, don't worry about it."

Crawford, a two-weight undisputed champion with 19 consecutive world-title bouts, responded with humor and confidence, stating, "For sure, those belts are coming home with me." The American fighter also vowed to become the first male three-weight undisputed champion, a nod to Claressa Shields, who has already achieved the feat in women's boxing.

Alvarez, describing himself as a "winner," told Crawford, "You don't look different." Crawford fired back, "I'm different. You're going to see."

The fight will take place at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, with a capacity of 65,000. It will also mark the debut of UFC president Dana White's new boxing promotion, a collaboration with Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh. Alalshikh, a key figure in Saudi Arabia's recent boxing investments, emphasized his expectations for an explosive match, calling for "smashing face" rather than lackluster performances.

This event is part of Saudi Arabia's broader strategy to diversify its economy through sports, though critics accuse the Kingdom of using such investments for sportwashing. Regardless, the momentum behind boxing in Saudi Arabia shows no signs of slowing, with Alalshikh spearheading a new era of super-fights, including a partnership with Netflix.

As the media tour moves to Las Vegas and New York, the rivalry between Alvarez and Crawford continues to heat up. Crawford, who has long sought this opportunity, called Alvarez "the last great fighter" of their era, expressing his excitement for what he considers his "mega fight."

The press conference concluded with a tense face-off, with Alvarez breaking the stare first. The stage is now set for what promises to be one of the most electrifying bouts in boxing history.