Boxing professional Paulie Malignaggi views the doable cash battle between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford as extra about attracting informal followers fairly than having any true sporting worth to it.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is transferring up three divisions with none intention of acclimatizing himself to the 168-lb division earlier than difficult Canelo for his undisputed tremendous middleweight championship.
Malignaggi feels that Canelo-Crawford can be extra for informal followers fairly than true boxing followers as a result of it’s not like a real sporting occasion.
He sees it as a YouTuber-esque, contemplating that Crawford can be going up three divisions with out proving himself or incomes the title shot. It’s a joke battle.
Cash Talks, Benavidez Walks
“I don’t assume it’s essentially in regards to the cash. You may keep away from David Benavidez, and for Canelo, meaning all the things,” mentioned boxing professional Paulie Malignaggi to the Probox TV YouTube channel in regards to the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford battle.
“It’s one other battle the place he can say, ‘Effectively, you realize what? They’re paying me some huge cash right here. That is the battle that’s in demand. Sorry, Dave. I can’t nonetheless. I’m making one other excuse for not preventing you.’
Malignaggi makes a superb level. Preventing Crawford offers Canelo a superb excuse to offer to followers for not preventing David Benavidez. Nobody can say something to Canelo about Benavidez if he’s going through Crawford.
Informal Followers vs. True Boxing Lovers
“That’s additionally large for me. It is a battle [Canelo vs. Crawford] extra for the casuals. The #1 pound-for-pound in opposition to the most well-liked fighter on the planet. It has a little bit of a YouTuber-esque kind of really feel, however these are clearly two world-class fighters in a manner that it’s going to draw plenty of casuals,” mentioned Malignaggi.
It’s positively a celebrity-esque or YouTuber-esque. Crawford transferring up three weight courses, skipping 160 fully, and never preventing any preliminary matches at 168 earlier than getting the title shot in opposition to Canelo.
There’s no sporting worth to it as a result of, in an excellent world, Crawford must run the gauntlet by preventing Morrell, Benavidez, and Caleb Plant. If Crawford received these fights, then he would get a title shot in opposition to Canelo.
“To a level, Turki Alalshikh may very well be placing his cash towards Canelo and Benavidez, him placing it towards this type of makes him an off-the-cuff as properly. It’s the battle that everybody desires to see, and I feel inside boxing circles, you’d fairly see Canelo and Benavidez,” mentioned Malignaggi.
If Malignaggi has been paying consideration, the fights that we’ve seen with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua each preventing former UFC champion Francis Ngannou have been YouTuber-esque. Joshua and Fury each obtained large cash from His Excellency to battle a novice in fights that ought to have by no means occurred. Contenders have been handed over for Joshua and Fury to battle a novice.
“The quantity of eyeballs which might be going to be on this battle [Canelo vs. Crawford], the vast majority of them should not going to be from inside boxing,” mentioned Malignaggi. “The bulk are going to be casuals or people who find themselves outright not even battle followers. They perhaps watch one battle a 12 months, and this is able to be the battle they watch.”
A number of boxing followers will tune in to look at Canelo battle Crawford too, however plenty of casuals will for positive be watching as properly. It will be attention-grabbing to see if Crawford stays at 168 if he’s victorious. I don’t assume he’ll, however it might be attention-grabbing to see Crawford battle Jaime Munguia and Caleb Plant. He’s not going to battle Benavidez that’s for positive.
The Actual Loser: Benavidez
“I can’t see anyone shedding right here besides David Benavidez, after all. As a tremendous fighter as he’s, he takes Ls so far as not with the ability to get these large fights that he’s greater than deserving of. I feel he deserves the Canelo battle and the world title battle at 168,” mentioned Malignaggi.
