Terence Crawford is the opponent Canelo Alvarez -- and boxing fans -- need

Another Canelo Alvarez combat and different hostile unwilling to prosecute him led to an underwhelming nighttime successful which the boxing superstar won, but the fans lost.

Again.

This alarming inclination has to stop, and hopefully, Terence Crawford volition unit Canelo to combat due to the fact that the fans merit better.

Sadly, Canelo has brought this connected himself.

Canelo's unanimous determination triumph (119-109, 116-112 and 115-113) implicit William Scull connected Saturday successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was the latest successful his caller tally of fights lacking play oregon excitement. In the combat against Scull, Canelo threw a full of 152 punches. That fig is the second-fewest punches thrown successful a 12-round combat successful CompuBox's 40-year history. That is abysmal, adjacent by Canelo's debased output standards. However, helium was successful the ringing with a combatant who had nary involvement successful winning and conscionable wanted to survive, arsenic Scull pranced astir the ringing and landed 55 of 293 punches thrown. Nothing helium landed was of consequence, and Canelo wasn't remotely threatened by the antecedently unbeaten Scull.

The world is that Canelo deserved this.

Since helium mislaid to Dmitry Bivol successful May 2022, Canelo has spent the past 3 years loading up his slope relationship portion warring lesser absorption and leaving fans yearning for more. He received a walk for fighting an aging Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin 2 years excessively late, and pursuing it with a homecoming bout against John Ryder. After that, however, the anticipation was that helium would look a much than deserving David Benavidez, the WBC mandatory challenger. Instead, Canelo opted for fights with an undersized and overmatched Jermell Charlo, and undeserving opponents Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga. There volition beryllium those who accidental that Canelo had to combat Scull to go undisputed again and blasted the IBF for installing an unproven combatant arsenic the mandatory opponent, but that is lone fractional true. The world is that Canelo tin bash immoderate helium wants, and the lone existent mandatory hostile (dictated by the fans, of course) has been Benavidez. For immoderate reason, Canelo didn't privation that fight. And present we are.

Honestly, a combat with Jake Paul would person been amended than what we saw with Scull. Sure, Paul is besides undeserving, but would anybody uncertainty that helium would astatine slightest try to win? After all, Canelo was this adjacent to warring Paul earlier Turki Alalshikh, president of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, swooped successful with an offer Canelo couldn't refuse.

This inclination wouldn't person been truthful atrocious if Canelo delivered breathtaking fights. Instead, his caller outings person felt excessively safe, opting for fiscal information implicit taking risks and dispatching of his opponents wrong the distance. He's been acold excessively conservative. And adjacent erstwhile helium has had his opponents connected the proverbial ropes, helium seemingly allowed them to marque it to the last bell. His caller opponents person taken solace successful surviving alternatively than trying to win. And Canelo has been benignant capable to fto them disconnected the hook with a fewer other zeros successful their slope account.

He won't person that luxury against Crawford erstwhile they conscionable connected Sept. 12 astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas.

Obviously, Canelo volition person a important size vantage arsenic Crawford, an undisputed champion astatine inferior welterweight and welterweight, volition ascent 2 much value classes to situation him. But Crawford is 1 of the champion fighters of this procreation and possesses a mean streak that won't let Canelo to cruise to different decision. Instead, astatine immoderate point, Canelo volition person to wound down connected his gumshield and combat Crawford. That's thing we haven't seen Canelo bash since the Bivol fight. He has spent the past 3 years successful glorified sparring sessions without a consciousness of danger.

At this signifier of his career, Canelo needs the benignant of situation that Crawford represents. He spent the archetypal two-thirds of his vocation loading up his résumé with prime names, but the past 3rd has seen him evade hard challenges portion depositing ample checks. And earlier you accidental he's earned the close to bash that, fans and critics person besides earned the close to telephone him retired for it.

While that whitethorn beryllium large for Canelo, that's not what fans deserve. The alleged "Face of Boxing" should propulsion the athletics further into the mainstream. These fights are doing the nonstop opposite.

Canelo's latest woody with Riyadh Season volition spot the checks proceed to rotation in, but fans merit to spot 1 of the top boxers of this epoch successful a challenging fight.

And a combat with Crawford should beryllium it.