‘Too slick’: Tim Tszyu’s bold Canelo-Crawford prediction hours after super-fight was confirmed

Just hours after is was made official, Tim Tszyu gives his prediction for the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford super-fight in Las Vegas.

Tim Tszyu is fully focused on his world title rematch with Sebastian Fundora, but ‘The Soul Taker’ is tipping Terence Crawford to score a monumental upset over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in their September 12 blockbuster at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

A win would cement Crawford’s status as one of the greatest boxers of all-time if he successfully moves up two weight classes and seven kilograms to beat Canelo.

After months of rumours, the fight was finally confirmed last weekend when Crawford confronted Canelo in the ring after the Mexican’s lacklustre win over William Scull in Saudi Arabia.

Crawford is a four-weight world champion, winning titles from lightweight (61.2kg) to super-welterweight (69.9kg), including becoming undisputed champion at super-lightweight and welterweight.

The 37-year-old has only had one fight at super-welterweight though, and will be fighting Canelo at a weight 10kg higher than his best.

Crawford is already a legend, but can cement his spot as an all-time great. Picture: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

That’s why Crawford – who will be in Australia for a speaking and training tour later this month – opened as a $2.90 underdog with the bookies.

But after Canelo cut a frustrated figure in his excruciatingly dull 12-round decision win over Scull on the weekend, Tszyu is backing ‘Bud’ for the upset.

“I think Crawford wins due to the fact that Canelo looked not hungry,” Tszyu told Code Sports on Sunday night after watching his mate Jon Sgroi score a second round knockout in Bella Vista to move to 3-0 as a pro.

“Maybe it was fighting in Saudi Arabia, not in Vegas and the atmosphere was a bit different.

“It was a 6am start, all those things play a part.

“From the Canelo I saw today, I think Crawford beats him in my opinion.

“I feel like that’s my pick. I feel like Crawford’s going to be too slick.”

Canelo poses with all the belts at super-middleweight. Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Crawford’s most recent win was a world title victory over Israil Madrimov in Tszyu’s super-welterweight division last year.

At one point, Tszyu had been linked to a fight with Crawford, and while he’s remaining tight-lipped on his next fight until the ink is dry on the paperwork, he did admit the Fundora rematch is what’s next.

“We’ve got plenty of things down the pipeline, but my main thing is Fundora,” he said.

Canelo and Crawford are both mainstays in the top five of boxing’s pound-for-pound rankings, but the Mexican’s performance against Scull created headlines for all the wrong reasons.

German-based Cuban Scull spent most of the fight running, while a frustrated Canelo couldn’t pin him down.

At one point, Canelo even began arguing with a referee about the lack of action.

At the end of 12 rounds, Canelo took Scull’s IBF super-middleweight world title to become undisputed for a second time.

But the pair combined to throw the fewest punches in a 12-round fight in punch counter Compubox’s 40-year history.

Scull didn’t want to engage. Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Together, they threw just 445 punches in 36 minutes of action, lowering Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder’s record of 459.

Excluding an angry Canelo unleashing in the 12th round and landing 10 punches, neither man landed more than seven punches in a single round.

Before the Scull fight, the prevailing wisdom was that Canelo would be too big and too crafty for Crawford.

Since then though, the tide has swung, with former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew agreeing with Tszyu in backing Crawford.

“His boxing brain is just so good that I just think he finds a way to get the job done,” Bellew told DAZN.

“It will be tough. Crawford will need to be perfect, but he’s made a career of being perfect, and I think that his extra sharpness in speed will be a big factor.

“Canelo will be putting the pressure on non-stop, and Crawford will have to ride out some storms, but I just see him doing just enough and being that more clinical in a brilliant fight that he can win on points.”

Originally published as ‘Too slick’: Tim Tszyu’s bold Canelo-Crawford prediction hours after super-fight was confirmed