How Grand Rapids boxing icon could become secret weapon for Terence Crawford ahead of Canelo fight

LAS VEGAS – There’s a big fight feel in the air during fight week of the “Once in a lifetime” bout between Terence “Bud” Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Álvarez.

The fight is slated to take place on Saturday (Sept. 13) on Netflix inside Allegiant Stadium, where the Las Vegas Raiders play.

As the dust settled, Crawford may have found a familiar foe who danced in the squared circle with Álvarez back in 2013 for the WBA, WBC, and the Ring light middleweight championship in boxing icon Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather Jr. won the fight by a 12-round majority decision in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,746 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As the old saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

So what better friend could one have than the Grand Rapids native who, according to reports, has shared a good relationship beyond boxing?

“Floyd just randomly calls me, asks how my family is doing, how I’m doing. He doesn’t even talk about boxing,” said Crawford on Club Shay Shay. “He just checks up on you, makes sure everybody’s good. That means more to me than calls about boxing.”

Mayweather Jr. and Crawford have a relationship built on mutual respect and admiration, with “Money” telling Crawford that he is the best fighter in the world in years past.

Crawford reciprocated the love for Mayweather Jr., saying he was the greatest boxer of all time, having retired undefeated with an unblemished 50-0 record.

Gaining insight from someone who many consider the greatest boxer of all time is the ultimate weapon for another undefeated boxer like Crawford, who stands at 41-0.

“Floyd, man, that boy bad, that’s the G.O.A.T.,” Bud said.

Mayweather could quietly be becoming Crawford’s secret weapon ahead of the biggest fight of his life against Álvarez.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Money reached out during training camp to assist Bud in conquering what he once did several years earlier.

“I’m going to tell y’all the truth about Canelo, man. Easy work. Y’all sitting up there praising this dude. This dude was nothing. I was almost 40 years old when I cooked him,” Mayweather said in an interview.

Like Mayweather Jr. in his fight with Álvarez, Crawford is approaching 40 years of age ahead of his fight with Álvarez, as he will be 37 when the bell rings inside Allegiant Stadium.

Mayweather Jr. and his experience and strategic instincts would greatly benefit Crawford, especially on the defensive side of the ring.

With Crawford stepping up to fight Álvarez, Mayweather Jr. may have a chance to remind the world that he wrote the blueprint to beat him and is handing it over.

The possible mentorship is chess, not just a side gig for Mayweather Jr., who could be whispering secrets into the ear of a potential four-time undisputed legend, keeping the Mayweather name relevant in every boxing conversation.

The fight between Bud and Álvarez has divided the boxing world, with old-school fans favoring Álvarez’s size, power, and experience at 168 pounds.

Meanwhile, new fans believe Crawford’s technical IQ, switch-hitting style, and ice-cold mindset will shock the world.

Money’s role as a potential mentor adds a new layer of intrigue.

If this is indeed true, is it a passing of the torch or just a cameo? Either way, Money’s fingerprints could potentially be all over this fight.