🥊 Bud Looks To Make A Statement

November 19, 2021

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Fight With Teddy Atlas Newsletter, your one stop shop for all things combat sports related, brought to you by Teddy and The Fight team.

  • A combat sports news digest with all the headlines you need to know from Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.

  • Highlights from the podcast and across the fight world.

  • Fight times and information you need to know ahead of time.

  • How to’s and tips for Boxing from Teddy himself.

‎Teddy Atlas and co-host Ken Rideout break down the past weekend of fights and preview the upcoming Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter fight. Thanks for being with us.

The best way to support the show is to check out our awesome sponsors.

Fight Camp - https://www.joinfightcamp.com/atlas Athletic Gree…

Fight News From Around The 🌍

Crawford's Biggest Test Yet.

Terence Crawford can officially no longer be accused of "having faced nobody at Welterweight".

The main criticism thrown in the direction of one of boxing's pound for pound elite is that he hasn't faced a big name his third weight division: welterweight.

There may be some truth to it.

The likes of Jeff Horn, Mean Machine and a past his prime Amir Khan do not represent anywhere close to the top of the pile when it comes to top talent.

Nonetheless, "Bud" Crawford has beaten every single opponent put in front of him thus far, each one inside the distance. In fact, this is a man who hasn't heard the final bell since July 2016, when he beat Viktor Postol to unify the light welterweight crown.

The fact that the majority of the top talent at the weight are all across the pond over at Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions also hasn't helped.

Signing with Bob Arum after all, was Crawford's choice and in hindsight, it looks to have frozen him out of opportunities to fight the likes of Errol Spence, Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugas.

However, it hasn't stopped Shawn Porter from seeking to dethrone him.

The always game 2x former champion admits the two are good friends, but isn't looking to show any signs of it in the ring.

Porter has always been just shy of being considered an elite fighter in the division, due to his losses against past and present elite such as Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence. These losses have made him a gatekeeper of sorts for 147 lbs.

He will be out to shake this moniker off with a victory against someone who many consider to be THE pound for pound top talent in boxing.

Said pound for pound talent, will be looking to make a statement of his own, with a victory against his toughest welterweight opponent yet.

All of Porter's losses have been competitive, most recently a split decision loss to Errol Spence Jr. His all action, relentless pressure fighting has been a problem for all his opponents, in victory and defeat. He has never been in a truly one sided fight, let alone ever stopped.

Either dominating or stopping Porter would send a chilling message to the rest of the division's elite, that Terence Crawford is no longer hiding on "the other side of the street".

Canelo Alvarez: Cruiserweight Champion?

Surely not.

Right?

It's official. Canelo Alvarez has been granted permission to step up 2 weight divisions, from super middleweight to cruiserweight, to challenge WBC champion Ilunga Makabu.

Having cleared out the 168lbs division in just under a year, boxing's golden goose feels he has earned the right, in his own words, "do what he wants" in terms of who he wants to face next.

Making history has always been his main motivation, and should he beat Makabu, he would become Mexico's only ever 5 division world champion, as well as the first ever Mexican cruiserweight champion.

However, it's a huge jump in size. The most Canelo has ever weighed in for a fight has been 174 1/2 lbs when he faced Sergey Kovalev for his WBO Light Heavyweight title. In facing Makabu, he would probably come in at no heavier than 180-182 lbs for a division that has a limit of 200 lbs, making him significantly undersized for the weight.

Makabu himself, is no slouch.

UK fans might know him best for his short, but exciting title fight against Tony Bellew, where he was knocked out in 3 rounds but only after having floored the Brit himself.

He's gone toe to toe with some of the Cruiserweight division's hardest punchers, such as Thabiso Mchunu and Dmitry Kudryashov, coming out on top against both.

He's also a southpaw with good boxing ability, which in itself might give Canelo problems stylistically, aside from the punching power.

Yet somehow, despite all this, Canelo Alavarez is so good, that you just can't say that he won't pull it off and cement himself as a true, all time great.

That's the level that he is operating at now, having gone from light middleweight all the way up to cruiserweight and facing elite talent every step of the way.

Heavyweight next?

Who wins Crawford vs Porter?

We laid it all out in the latest fight plan, analysing the keys to victory for both men.

Teddy gives Ken his prediction, so make sure you stay tuned til the end.

Fight ⏰ for this weekend

Boxing: Crawford vs Porter (Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st)

  • 🇺🇸 Full Card: 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific | Main Event: 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧 Full Card: 2am | Main Event: 4am

  • 🇦🇺 Full Card: 1pm Eastern/ 10am Western | Main Event: 3pm Eastern/12pm Western

MMA: Vieira vs Tate (Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st)

  • 🇺🇸 Full Card: 6pm Eastern/ 3pm Pacific | Main Event: 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧 Full Card: 11pm | Main Event: 2am

  • 🇦🇺 Full Card: 10am Eastern/7am Western | Main Event: 1pm Eastern/10am Western

Don't forget to tune in to the latest episode 🎧

Thanks for being with us and see you next week #BANG💥