'it May Be A Chess Match' - Canelo V Crawford Predictions

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez v Terence Crawford

Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas Date: Saturday, 13 September

Coverage: Follow unrecorded matter commentary from 03:00 BST connected Sunday, 14 September connected BBC Sport website and app

Mexico's Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez defends his undisputed super-middleweight crown against American Terence Crawford astatine Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium connected Saturday.

Boxing fans will beryllium treated to a dream match-up betwixt 2 modern-day greats.

Alvarez, 35, enters nan ringing pinch 63 wins from 67 master bouts, pinch 2 draws and 2 defeats.

'Bud' Crawford, nan undefeated four-division world champion and two-weight undisputed king, takes nan bold measurement of moving up 2 weight classes successful pursuit of moreover greater glory.

Will nan slick skills and ringing IQ of nan 37-year-old unsettle nan bigger man? Or will Alvarez's powerfulness and proven pedigree astatine nan higher weights radiance nether nan Las Vegas lights?

Follow unrecorded matter commentary from 03:00 BST connected BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and nan BBC Sport website and app.

We asked nan boxing world for their predictions - here's what they said...

"It's a awesome conflict but I conscionable can't spot Canelo beating him. I spot Crawford winning this conflict by skill, activity and holding his weight well. Crawford is an astonishing wrestler truthful erstwhile it comes to grappling and pushing fighters' around, he's strong. I'm judge he won't person a problem pinch Canelo, moreover though Canelo is simply a strong, large guy."

Prediction - Crawford

"Bud is going to punch him up - Crawford is simply a unsocial fighter. He ain't nan astir powerful puncher but he's strong. Good technique, physically strong, very accurate. He's defensively sound, tin conflict southpaw and orthodox. Bud is tough, he doesn't mind getting tagged also. We're overlooking property and speed. Bud doesn't mind keeping it that measurement and boxing if he has to. Canelo is reliable and has taken bigger shots from bigger guys truthful you ne'er know."

Prediction - Crawford

"My aged adage is that a bully large 'un ever thumps a bully small 'un and I'll spell pinch Canelo connected this. Against William Scull, he sewage clipped rather a fewer times and I thought he sewage frustrated. Then I look astatine Crawford successful his erstwhile conflict against Israil Madrimov and I thought location were moments wherever it was rather close. But I've sewage to spell pinch Canelo - and I dream it is Canelo because our man Hamzah Sheeraz is going to beryllium ringside and we're going to make it if Canelo wins."

Prediction - Alvarez

"I deliberation Crawford will commencement fast, trial this mentation that Canelo doesn't person nan power to conflict astatine a higher pace. Getting up connected nan lead if he tin and unit Canelo to push nan fight. I do deliberation we'll spot a amended Canelo than we've seen successful nan past fewer years and size will play a facet and I deliberation he mightiness extremity Crawford. I'm not wholly judge connected that and I tin spot Crawford outboxing Canelo. The only point I don't spot is Crawford stopping Canelo, which is astir apt what will hap now that I've said it."

Prediction - Alvarez

"People are asking if size will beryllium a large factor. I was fortunate capable to spot Canelo up adjacent erstwhile I was successful nan area for my mate Callum Smith - he had a very heavy set. But I do judge Crawford has taken his clip building up to nan weight, he's unbelievably strong. People hide what a bully wrestler distant from boxing he is. His biggest spot is that he's truthful versatile. He tin spell orthodox aliases southpaw, conflict connected nan wrong aliases outside, he tin do it all. I deliberation timing could beryllium cleanable here. It whitethorn beryllium a chess lucifer - nary thrills and spills - but I deliberation Crawford edges it connected points. He whitethorn person to return 1 aliases 2 large 'uns and upwind nan storm, though."

Prediction - Crawford

"Canelo whitethorn person dipped complete nan past mates of years but this is nan benignant of conflict which will get him excited and I deliberation he could separator up. Crawford is going up 2 weights and history will show you that mightiness beryllium excessively large of a jump."

Prediction - Canelo

"I'm going pinch Crawford, he's sewage nan legs and nan IQ. He tin move stances too, and we cognize Canelo has struggled pinch southpaws successful nan past. He's besides sewage longer arms and is not physically that mini successful comparison. This type of Canelo is very slow-footed pinch azygous shots, aliases possibly 2 shots astatine a time. Crawford is smart capable that erstwhile he does get deed pinch a bomb, because Canelo will register, he tin thrust it retired and make judge thing other lands, get nan region and spell backmost to activity again."

Prediction - Crawford

"I person Crawford arsenic a beardown favourite. Nobody has shown america really to hit him yet. He has truthful galore different parts to his crippled that I deliberation it will beryllium difficult for Canelo to activity retired that puzzle. We've seen guys who are accelerated pinch bully activity and footwork that Canelo tin struggle against them."

Prediction - Crawford

"I'm going for Crawford. They're some truthful highly skilled but while Crawford whitethorn not person nan weight advantage, he has nan scope pinch his agelong arms which group underestimate. I deliberation he wins connected points."

Prediction - Crawford

"I'm going pinch Crawford to win. At this level, nan existent conflict originates successful camp, and Crawford is simply harder to hole for. His expertise to move stances, his unorthodox style, nan measurement he makes you deliberation each 2nd successful there, it's each mental. And erstwhile you're astatine nan very top, that intelligence situation is what separates champions. That's why I judge Crawford comes retired connected top."

Prediction - Crawford

"It's reliable to telephone because I cognize location is simply a size quality but Crawford ain't nary mug, immoderate group jump up weight classes conscionable for nan salary days but Crawford is different and I tin spot him nicking nan conflict to beryllium honest. He is smaller but he's game, I'm going to spell pinch him."

Prediction - Crawford

"I deliberation Canelo's size will play a large portion successful this, Crawford is coming up a fewer weight divisions and location will beryllium a size quality betwixt them, Canelo's truthful powerful astatine that weight. Crawford's skills will beryllium his biggest advantage and he could perchance outbox Canelo, but I deliberation Canelo will beryllium excessively large and excessively beardown and I deliberation he will triumph connected points."

Prediction - Canelo