Canelo v Crawford: A Las Vegas super-fight and the battle for boxing legacy

The city has a tangible buzz, a real big-fight weak feel. But this is not a fight born out of fan demand.

Crawford began at lightweight; Alvarez has climbed as high as light-heavyweight. On paper, it didn’t make sense.

Barely a year ago, Alvarez laughed off the idea of facing Crawford, saying he was too small, too risky and there was nothing to gain.

So what changed? The real driver is money, and the power brokers behind it.

This event marks the first marquee collaboration between Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh and UFC chief Dana White’s boxing venture.

Alalshikh wanted Alvarez and Crawford to face each other, and – as he does – he got what he wanted. The cheque-book did the convincing.

Alvarez will earn a reported purse of $150m (£111m). It’s the Hollywood treatment he’s come to expect, as he shows off his wealth at every turn – from his absurdly expensive watch collection to his fleet of luxury cars.

Crawford, long frustrated by smaller purses, will take home at least $10m (£7.4m), with the total pot expected to top $200m. Reported purses are often inflated, but give a taste of the fortunes involved.

Although Alvarez-Crawford has not been years in the making, special moments are built on special fighters.

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