This Saturday night, a matchup that seemed impossible becomes a reality in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Allegiant Stadium. Two future Hall-of-Famers, Canelo Alvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford, will go toe to toe for Undisputed Super Middleweight gold. Canelo vs. Crawford is the third boxing fight that is airing live on Netflix worldwide.
A massive reason that this matchup was unlikely to occur in the past is that Canelo is the champion at 168 pounds, and Crawford last held Undisputed gold at 147 pounds. But Crawford moved up seven pounds in August 2024, beating Israil Madrimov. Still, he has a 21-pound gap in weight to make up, but there is reason to believe the former champion can even the odds. Crawford hasn’t fought in 13 months, and while his layoff might not be beneficial, he has spent valuable time adding weight to his frame to combat Canelo.
The first fight that aired on Netflix was Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson in November 2024, which totaled 65 million concurrent viewers during the event. That is the highest viewership ever for a boxing event, but it was between a legend, Tyson, and a rising star, Paul. The most viewed boxing championship fight was The Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, which saw Muhammad Ali take on George Foreman for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship. That event had 50 million live viewers, and Canelo vs. Crawford has a chance to reach that total. That is how significant Saturday’s fight is.
Canelo is the biggest superstar in boxing today. He has held titles in four different divisions and is a two-time Undisputed Champion. When you think of the face of boxing, one name comes to mind first: Canelo. He has an aura around him that radiates a star. Canelo has lost to two fighters in his career, Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. Throughout his legendary career, Canelo has displayed his power but has won his last seven contests by decision. His previous win by stoppage was in November 2021.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Canelo is a -165 favorite with Crawford being a +135 underdog. Canelo has had a legendary and decorated career, holding a 63-2-2 record with 39 knockouts. But Crawford has never been defeated as he is 41-0 with 31 knockouts.
The co-main event of this card features a bout between two of the top rising Super Welterweights in the world. Callum Walsh, who is 14-0, is taking on Fernando Vargas Jr., who is 17-0. Walsh is only 24 years old but has quickly become a legit contender after knocking out nine of his previous 10 opponents. Vargas Jr. is also a lethal striker on the feet and enters this fight five years older with more experience. Even though both fighters are undefeated, Walsh is still a -330 favorite as Vargas Jr. is a +245 underdog.
The elite action doesn’t stop there as the WBC Interim Super Middleweight title is on the line in the second fight on the Main Card. Two more undefeated contenders, Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez, are facing off in a high-stakes 168-pound matchup. Mbilli is ranked as the No. 3 best Super Middleweight in the world on Boxrec, as Martinez is No. 12. Martinez is 19-0 with 16 knockouts in his career, while Mbilli is 29-0 with 24 wins via KO/TKO. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Mbilli is a -175 favorite with Martinez being a +140 underdog.
Here is the full fight card for Canelo vs. Crawford. This event begins at 5:30 p.m. ET with the Preliminary Card, and the Main Card starts at 9:00 p.m. ET on Netflix.
Main Card
Undisputed Super Middleweight Title Bout | 12 Rounds
Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford
Super Welterweight Bout | 10 Rounds
Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr.
WBC Interim Super Middleweight Bout | 10 Rounds
Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez
Super Featherweight Bout | 10 Rounds
Mohammed Alakel vs. John Ornelas
Preliminary Card
Middleweight Bout | 10 Rounds
Serhii Bohachuk vs. Brandon Adams
Heavyweight Bout | 10 Rounds
Ivan Dychko vs. Jermaine Franklin
Super Featherweight Bout | 6 Rounds
Reito Tsutsumi vs. Javier Martinez
Super Lightweight Bout | 4 Rounds
Sultan Almohamed vs. Martin Caraballo
Light Heavyweight Bout | 10 Rounds
Steven Nelson vs. Raiko Santana
Catchweight Bout | 162 LBS | 6 Rounds
Marco Verde vs. Sona Akale
