Two of boxing's most dominant figures, Canelo Alvarez and Terence "Bud" Crawford, are set to clash in a highly anticipated, once-in-a-generation showdown on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This monumental event will see Alvarez (63-3-3, 39 KOs), the undisputed WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF super middleweight champion, defend his titles against the undefeated, four-division king Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs). Crawford is making a significant move up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez at 168 pounds, ending a yearlong hiatus from the ring.

Canelo, 35, currently ranked No. 8 in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings, enters this bout after a recent decision win over William Scull in May, which saw him become the undisputed 168-pound champion for the second time. This victory, however, was noted as an anticlimactic and disappointing performance. Crawford, 37, ESPN's third-ranked pound-for-pound boxer, last fought in August 2024, securing the WBA junior middleweight title from Israil Madrimov, a fight he later expressed some disappointment with despite the win. The upcoming fight is poised to settle a long-standing debate over who truly stands as the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter after years of competing for top spots in ESPN's rankings.

The stakes are incredibly high for both fighters. For Crawford, a victory would make him the only male boxer in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed champion status in three weight classes, further cementing his legacy as a top pound-for-pound contender. For Alvarez, a win over Crawford would undoubtedly boost his standing and see him rise from his current No. 8 ranking, especially following a performance against Scull that drew widespread criticism.

A look back at their careers reveals a history of exceptional performances. Canelo's best performance is often cited as his unanimous decision win against Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin in their September 2022 trilogy fight, where he definitively retained his undisputed super middleweight championship. His most spectacular knockout came against Sergey Kovalev in November 2019, an 11th-round KO that saw him move up two weight divisions to claim the WBO light heavyweight belt and become a four-weight world champion. Canelo's first fight against Golovkin in September 2017, a controversial split draw, is considered his most important as it fueled him to produce even better performances and silenced critics. His most dominant win was an eighth-round TKO over Billy Joe Saunders in May 2021, a super middleweight unification fight where Alvarez inflicted significant damage, forcing Saunders' corner to stop the fight.

Terence Crawford's career is equally storied. His best performance came in July 2023 with a ninth-round TKO over Errol Spence Jr., a technical master class that saw him become the undisputed welterweight champion. Crawford's best knockout was against Yuriorkis Gamboa in June 2014, a ninth-round TKO in his first world title defense where he floored Gamboa four times. His most important fight, a unanimous decision win against Ricky Burns in March 2014, launched his career by securing the WBO lightweight world title in his first professional fight outside the United States. Crawford's most dominant win was a sixth-round TKO over Amir Khan in April 2019, a one-sided affair that showcased his power, speed, and ring intelligence, mirroring Alvarez's own six-round finish of Khan three years prior.

The full fight card, which begins coverage at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 13, with the main card likely starting at 8 p.m. ET and main-event ring walks at 11 p.m. ET, includes several other compelling matchups. These feature Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr., Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez, Mohammed Alakel vs. John Ornelas, Serhii Bohachuk vs. Brandon Adams, Ivan Dychko vs. Jermaine Franklin Jr., Steven Nelson vs. Raiko Santana, Reito Tsutsumi vs. Javier Martinez, and Sultan Almohamed vs. Martin Caraballo. The highly anticipated Canelo vs. Crawford main event will stream live globally and exclusively on Netflix, marking a significant moment for boxing distribution.