Canelo Alvarez gave rival Terence Crawford the ultimate compliment.
Canelo and Crawford are gearing up to fight in a blockbuster clash for the undisputed WBA, WBC IBF and WBO super-middleweight titles on September 13 in Las Vegas.
It has been a largely respectful build-up to the intriguing contest to boxing’s biggest fight this year.
READ: Manny Pacquiao accused of cheating in fights as rival proposes new rematch after comeback
Both Alvarez and Crawford have paid respect to each other’s brilliance in the squared circle, despite having a push and a shove during a heated press conference in June.
‘Bud’ was asked which fightershe believed to be better than his rival Alvarez from a list in July, and in response he named De La Hoya, Bivol and Mayweather, with the latter two having beaten the Mexican.
In a recent interview with the Ring Magazine, Canelo was then instructed to follow the same idea, only responding when a boxer that he thought was better than Crawford was named.
The interviewer listed: Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Surprisingly, Canelo remained silent effectively ranking Crawford above the list of prestigious operators.
The Mexican himself holds history with Bivol and Mayweather, with both men handing Canelo a loss as they crossed paths in the ring.
So it comes as a big surprise that he has selected both fighters above Crawford.
But it shows that the current king of the division is not taking his new foe at all lightly, and will leave no stone unturned as his training camp continues.
Why is Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford such a big fight?
Both fighters are entering this highly anticipated super-fight with victories in their most recent bouts.
In May, Canelo claimed victory over William Scull, unifying the Cuban’s IBF title with his own WBA, WBC, and WBO belts.
Meanwhile Crawford hasn’t fought since Last September, but became a champion in a fourth weight category in a hard-fought win over Israil Madrimov.
He is stepping into the biggest fight of his career with a perfect 41-0 record.
But the American has never boxed higher than super-welterweight, and he will make the jump up two weight classes in this super-fight on September 13.
Should he take victory and capture the belts, it would be a monumental achievement.
And many believe it will see him brush shoulders with the all-time greats, including Floyd Mayweather, whom he will equal as a five-weight world champion with victory.
As for the champion Alvarez, it would be a seismic win and would see him wipe out yet another leading challenger.
Victory could open up avenues for further lucrative bouts, including a UK debut fight with Hamzah Sheeraz or Chris Eubank Jr.
