Mexican Independence Day Weekend: A Boxing Tradition

Mexican Independence Day weekend is traditionally one of the biggest weekends in boxing. This year is no different with Mexican superstar fighter Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) putting his undisputed super middleweight championship on the line against former two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday (Netflix, 9 p.m. ET). It's a rare occasion where two of ESPN's top 10 pound-for-pound fighters will clash.

The Fight of a Lifetime

The event has been billed as "Once In a Lifetime" by the organizers and finds Crawford moving up two weight classes to challenge Canelo to become the first men's boxer to be an undisputed champion in three weight classes in the "four-belt era." (Claressa Shields became an undisputed champion in three women's boxing divisions when she defeated Danielle Perkins for the heavyweight title in July.) For Canelo, this might be the stiffest challenge he has faced since losing to Dmitry Bivol when he attempted to move up to challenge for the light heavyweight title in 2022.

Legacy-Defining Moment

This is a legacy-defining fight for both fighters, as Canelo and Crawford look to etch their names into the Mount Rushmore of boxing.

Why is Canelo Fighting Crawford?

The short answer is that he ran out of options. And because the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and boxing's most influential power broker, Turki Alalshikh, wanted the fight.

Crawford's Challenge

Crawford has never competed at 160 pounds, much less 168 pounds. Crawford is also challenging the undisputed champion, rather than taking a tuneup fight against another 168-pound fighter to acclimate to the weight class. The degree of difficulty for Crawford is much steeper than what Canelo attempted when moving up in weight.

What's at Stake?

After demolishing Spence, Crawford was fresh out of big-name fighters to face. He could have stayed at 147 pounds and defended his titles against Jaron "Boots" Ennis, but he would have been the hunted, not the hunter. He also could have pursued becoming undisputed at 154 pounds after defeating Madrimov, but the quality of opposition wasn't there after former undisputed champion Charlo's value was diminished by a one-sided decision loss to Canelo in 2023.

The Odds

ESPN BET has the undisputed super middleweight champion as a -175 favorite over Crawford. Canelo hasn't been a betting underdog since his second fight with Golovkin in 2018.

Undercard Highlights

Undefeated super middleweight and interim WBC champion Christian Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) will face fellow unbeaten 168-pound fighter Lester Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) in what is expected to be an action-packed fight in which the winner could find himself in line to challenge the main-event winner.

Conclusion

This fight is not just about the belts; it's about legacy, history, and the future of boxing. Whether you're a die-hard boxing fan or a casual observer, this is a match you won't want to miss.