Legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas on August 27, 2011. IMAGO / Christian Schroedter

Teddy Altas Compares Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford To Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Apratim Banerjee | Last updated May 25, 2025 4:37 PM ET

Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford has become the center of attention in the boxing world ever since the fight was announced, and the two modern day greats will fight it out to decide who's best on September 13. It's a massive event and the buzz around the fight keeps growing by the day.

Trainer Teddy Atlas, who is considered an expert voice in boxing due to his legendary experience, has now given his prediction for the fight.

His analysis is always one worth heeding, and in a recent interview with The Ring, Atlas pointed out a burning debate in boxing history: who wins when a great smaller fighter takes on a great bigger fighter, which seems to be the key theme of Canelo vs Crawford.

'Bud' is moving up two weight classes as his last fight took place at 154 lbs against Israil Madrimov. Crawford arguably didn't look his best in that fight, but Atlas was quick to note that Madrimov has 300 amateur fights under his belt, making him a conundrum.

Speaking to The Ring, Atlas said:

You reverse who's got the advantage and the disadvantage. Yeah, the size, the power Canelo, he's got the advantage. Then all of a sudden you go back and say, 'Wait a minute, the other guy is faster. The other guy's craftier. The other guy has more options. The other guy's slicker. Maybe he's got the advantages.'

Atlas went on to compare Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford to Manny Pacquiao's fight against Oscar De La Hoya. He claimed that Pacquiao was the faster fighter and defeated De La Hoya in their 2008 showdown. He said:

Like the first time Pacquiao fought De La Hoya. I know De La Hoya was having trouble with weight and all that stuff, I get it. But still, I remember that I picked that one that Pacquiao is going to win. You're saying De La Hoya is bigger, stronger, he's got the power advantage, he's got this edge, but the other guys is quicker, that's gonna be an edge and it was an edge.

Atlas lauded Canelo Alvarez's stellar resume, but said:

I am one of the people that thinks Crawford is very very special. I am not saying Canelo is not but I think he's special in a different way where he has instincts that not everyone has. It's the timing, the instinctual things, the X-factor, and again the intangibles that he has.