Shawn Porter has traded blows with Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, felt the sting of his punches up close, and been beaten into retirement by him. Yet when he stepped into Crawford’s training camp in the build-up to Saturday’s audacious clash with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, he was struck by how different the man before him looked. Stronger, thicker, more imposing – not the lean technician who stopped him in 2021, but a fighter rebuilt for history.

Crawford, 37, is stepping up two full weight classes to meet Alvarez at super-middleweight, a division the Mexican has ruled for years. It is a leap that has divided opinion in boxing, with critics wondering whether the Omaha native, who only became undisputed at 154lbs last year, can truly carry power and durability at 168. But Porter, who has become both friend and admirer since their battle, insists the transformation has been handled with rare precision.

‘Most boxers don’t lift weights, that’s kind of the no-no in boxing,’ he explained. ‘But when you’re putting on weight, it has to be muscle. You can’t put on fat, you can’t put on anything sluggish. The best thing a fighter can do is hit the weights, up the protein. I saw the man eat – he’s eating brilliantly, doing it all right. It takes a good two years to successfully put on 10 pounds and get your body to acclimate. So when people talk about him being inactive for 13 months, they have to understand he’s been training for this night against Canelo.’

From what Porter saw in camp, the answer is yes. ‘I saw it in his legs, his arms, his shoulders. The weight has been distributed evenly. A lot of guys are bottom heavy, but Crawford’s put the muscle where it counts – chest, abs, arms. He’ll handle the strength just fine.’

That assurance is important given how Crawford looked in his last outing. His points win over Israil Madrimov in August 2024 was far from vintage: slower on his feet, less elusive, at times second-guessing an opponent who pressed relentlessly. It led some to question whether age and weight were blunting his brilliance. But Porter reveals Crawford himself recognised the problem long before critics raised it.

Shawn Porter (pictured above) was stunned when he visited Terence Crawford’s camp before Saturday’s clash with Canelo Alvarez

Crawford, 37, is stepping up two full weight classes to meet Alvarez at super-middleweight, a division the Mexican has ruled for years

‘He told Shakur Stevenson, ‘I need to get back to boxing. I’ve been knocking guys out, I need to get back to boxing,’ Porter said. ‘He knows he hasn’t been moving the way he can – the two steps, the lateral movement. Against Madrimov, I think the style surprised him on the night, but once he figured it out, he got the victory. 

‘When we spoke, he said he just didn’t care in that fight. This is the fight where he has to care. He knows it’s not going to be one punch. It’s going to be a round-by-round fight, the kind he hasn’t been in for a very long time.’

The question, of course, is whether Crawford can hurt Alvarez. No fighter has ever stopped the Mexican, who boasts granite resistance built over 19 years and nearly 70 professional bouts. Porter, however, believes Crawford’s unusual delivery – that whipping, snapping motion of his punches – is precisely what could cause problems. 

‘His delivery is unique. Some of his punches have this whipping action. He turns them over so they land just right, and he has the accuracy too. If anything is going to get Canelo’s attention, that’s it. I believe he has what it takes to stop him.’

For Alvarez, at 35, there is another layer of intrigue: whether the signs of slippage that have crept into recent performances are more than just perception. He is still the sport’s most bankable attraction, still a man with victories over Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, Sergey Kovalev and Caleb Plant.

Yet Porter insists the decline has begun, however subtle. ‘Almost 70 fights… it’s impossible to be the same as you were when you had 50. Respectfully, it’s impossible. Canelo used to be an A-plus fighter. 

Crawford (above) poses for photographers after defeating Shawn Porter by TKO

Despite losing to their contest, Porter (left) remains good friends with Crawford (right)

‘Now he’s an A-minus. Still better than 98 per cent of fighters, but if you have trained eyes, you can see it. Since the Plant fight, he’s shifted his style, conserving energy, pushing when he wants to. That worked because opponents had fear. Crawford won’t show him that fear.’

And so on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium, with more than 60,000 expected under the lights of Las Vegas, Crawford will step into the unknown. He is chasing greatness, chasing size, chasing history. 

Porter has seen the work behind the scenes and has no doubt about his old rival’s readiness. ‘He’s done it the right way,’ Porter said. ‘The weight is all muscle. He’s prepared for this moment.’