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Pavlik Reveals Surprising Strategy for Crawford to Defeat Canelo
3 Aug
Summary
- Pavlik believes Crawford should pressure Canelo early to tire him out
- Canelo has shown signs of fading in later rounds against Bivol and GGG
- Size difference between the fighters is a key factor in the matchup

As the highly anticipated Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford fight approaches on September 13, 2025, former unified middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has shared his surprising strategy for the underdog Crawford to pull off the upset.
Pavlik believes Crawford should not try to outbox Canelo, but instead should aggressively pressure the Mexican champion from the opening bell. The consensus is that Crawford, who is moving up two weight classes, needs to avoid Canelo's power in the early rounds. However, Pavlik thinks the opposite approach could be more effective.
"Use his reaction time, his natural abilities, his hand speed, that jab, switching from southpaw to orthodox, I wouldn't stay in one stance long enough for Canelo to figure out," Pavlik said. "Stay in Canelo's a** a little early on, put Canelo behind, even if it's three out of the first four rounds. Because when Canelo has to fight, when Canelo has to step it up, after seven rounds, he starts to fade a little bit. We've seen that with Bivol, with GGG."
Pavlik added that if Canelo gets pushed early in the fight, his endurance will fade, allowing Crawford to capitalize in the later rounds. The size difference between the two fighters is also a key factor, as Canelo is accustomed to facing much bigger opponents, while Crawford is not.
This matchup between two of the sport's finest boxers is set to be a legendary contest, with both fighters' legacies on the line. Fans can expect an exciting and unpredictable showdown on September 13th.