Terence Crawford has firmly dismissed speculation that he is entering Saturday’s highly anticipated super-fight against Canelo Alvarez nursing a shoulder injury.
The 37-year-old challenger, stepping into his 42nd professional bout, is set to face Alvarez, the reigning undisputed super-middleweight champion. While it’s common for fighters to carry minor aches into the ring, Crawford was quick to shut down claims that he’s dealing with any shoulder problems.
“Where did I get a shoulder injury at?” Crawford said during a fight week media event. “I think people are just coming up with their own antics. Terence Crawford got a shoulder injury, Terence Crawford out of shape, Terence Crawford slow. They’re coming up with all kinds of stuff.”
Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford is already a two-division undisputed champion, having dominated the super-lightweight and welterweight divisions. Now, he’s stepping up to face Mexico’s biggest boxing star on Mexican Independence Day weekend in Las Vegas, where the crowd greeted him with boos.
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When asked by Boxing News what excites him most about the matchup, Crawford was blunt and unwavering.
“Shutting everybody up,” he said. Pressed further on the hostile reception, the former pound-for-pound king remained unfazed.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve been booed. I don’t care. It’s not the first time people have gone against Terence Crawford — it doesn’t matter to me. They can’t fight for him, so it doesn’t matter. It just puts a little more icing on the cake.”
