Canelo V Crawford - The Defining Battle For Legacy

Las Vegas is built connected noise.

The beeps and bells of nan slot machines echo down nan Strip - a blur of sparkling lights, and performers who ne'er break character.

A seismic conflict week present usually feels nan aforesaid - spotlight, swagger, and showmanship.

But Terence Crawford doesn't play to nan crowd.

At nan Allegiant Stadium connected Saturday night, nan American attempts thing historical against Mexico's Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez - becoming nan first antheral combatant to beryllium undisputed champion successful 3 weight divisions.

Alvarez has been among nan sport's biggest draws for complete a decade, a four-weight champion who sells retired arenas. Crawford - pinch 41 fights, 41 wins and 31 knockouts - is nan unbeaten purist.

Yet his demeanour and words show why he is an outlier successful a athletics that thrives connected theatre.

"I ne'er group my sights retired to beryllium nan look of boxing. It was ne'er my goal," nan 37-year-old says.

"I conscionable want to win. [Canelo] tin beryllium nan look of boxing. Just springiness maine everything successful nan inheritance that comes pinch it."

Crawford said to BBC Sport during a media arena astatine nan bustling Fontainebleau hotel.

In nan aforesaid building, rapping chart-topper Pitbull headlines his residency, belting retired "Don't Stop nan Party".

Crawford, though, looks almost offended erstwhile asked really he would observe if he wins. "I don't for illustration to party," he says.

Away from nan cameras he is loose and cheerful, but erstwhile nan reddish ray blinks, nan temper changes. His sound flattens, his words go stripped back. Some mightiness publication it arsenic coldness, but it is thing but nerves.

When BBC Sport originates a question, "If you triumph connected Saturday you'll make history..." Crawford interrupts firmly: "When I triumph connected Saturday, I'll make history."

The certainty makes it clear - thing extracurricular nan ringing matters.

"This conflict is astir cementing my spot successful history," he adds.

The metropolis has a tangible buzz, a existent big-fight anemic feel. But this is not a conflict calved retired of instrumentality demand.

Crawford began astatine lightweight; Alvarez has climbed arsenic precocious arsenic light-heavyweight. On paper, it didn't make sense.

Barely a twelvemonth ago, Alvarez laughed disconnected nan thought of facing Crawford, saying he was excessively small, excessively risky and location was thing to gain.

So what changed? The existent driver is money, and nan powerfulness brokers down it.

This arena marks nan first marquee collaboration betwixt Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh and UFC main Dana White's boxing venture.

Alalshikh wanted Alvarez and Crawford to look each other, and - arsenic he does - he sewage what he wanted. The cheque-book did nan convincing.

Alvarez will gain a reported purse of $150m (£111m). It's nan Hollywood curen he's travel to expect, arsenic he shows disconnected his wealthiness astatine each move - from his absurdly costly watch postulation to his fleet of luxury cars.

Crawford, agelong disappointment by smaller purses, will return location astatine slightest $10m (£7.4m), pinch nan full cookware expected to apical $200m. Reported purses are often inflated, but springiness a sensation of nan fortunes involved.

Although Alvarez-Crawford has not been years successful nan making, typical moments are built connected typical fighters.

In an era of YouTube celebrities and exhibitions, this is simply a chance to show that boxing tin still nutrient legitimate, high-stakes drama.

Logical fights person been parked, however.

Alvarez, 35, has sidestepped nan all-Mexican title pinch David Benavidez, a conflict fans were clamouring for. Crawford has put connected clasp a earthy gathering pinch Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.

Yet for each nan contrivance, this match-up comes draped successful nan connection of legacy.

Undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo is fighting to protect a CV built connected wins complete Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, and Sergey Kovalev.

But Alvarez's caller struggles - a nonaccomplishment to Dmitry Bivol and a less-than-convincing triumph complete William Scull - person stirred doubts.

The Guadalajara combatant says he is not bothered astir nan naysayers.

A conclusion by nan smaller man, though, could displacement really his profession is remembered. It could moreover hasten nan end.

"We don't cognize if it's going to beryllium nan past large fights. I americium enjoying this 1 because we don't cognize what lies ahead," Alvarez said.

Most fighters and pundits judge Crawford is truthful bully he tin bypass nan accepted contented that weight divisions beryllium for a reason.

"It's a awesome conflict but I conscionable can't spot Canelo beating him," Briton Amir Khan - nan only combatant to look some - told BBC Sport.

"Crawford is untouchable and I spot him winning by skill, activity and holding his weight well."

A triumph would person Crawford rubbing elbows pinch heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk atop nan pound-for-pound list.

He'd besides emulate his adjacent friend Claressa Shields, and go only nan 2nd boxer to go undisputed successful 3 weight divisions successful nan four-belt era.

With Netflix broadcasting nan bout globally, a triumph could make Crawford nan look of boxing, moreover if he remains indifferent to nan idea, pinch his attraction connected different matters.

"It's going to put maine successful nan apical people wherever we're talking astir nan top fighters of each time," he says.

Still, Crawford is 37 - nan older man successful this equation. If he loses, nan reasoning will beryllium 'he dared to beryllium awesome and size matters'.

But this is not a risk-free proposition - nan aura of invincibility which comes pinch an unbeaten grounds will fade.

Alvarez-Crawford whitethorn person seemed improbable earlier this year, but pinch legacies and truthful overmuch other connected nan line, it is simply a morganatic super-fight that has nan boxing world watching.