Sarah Liegmann – from the ring corner: Looking forward to Canelo-Crawford

Before I get started, I’m really glad you’re here to read my column. It’s going to be chaotic, funny, but mainly 100 percent real. I’ll be sharing lots of anecdotes and experiences from the world of boxing, but also giving you some exciting insights into my everyday madness. And now it’s time to clear the ring!

Canelo vs. Crawford: Another mega-fight that will be live on Netflix. What I love about matchups like this is that two giants clash and the fight can go either way. It’s a fight that’s fun to watch, that you get up at night to watch live on TV. “Pound-for-pound” third place against eighth place. Not without reason is the fight referred to as “The One” in many sources. The event takes place on September 13 and is promoted by Dana White’s new boxing promotion company in cooperation with TKO, an American sports and entertainment company, and Turki Al-Sheikh.

The fact that Netflix is offering this fight as a free live stream, after Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano, is a special step for boxing. Netflix has already managed to bring not only boxing fans, but also a completely new audience that has barely come into contact with boxing, in front of the TV with the last fights. Now, too, doors are being opened to a global mass audience. From hardcore boxing fans who would have gladly paid the extra $20 PPV fee for a monthly DAZN subscription just to not miss this fight, to sports fans who otherwise prefer to watch Netflix series. After decades, boxing is finally experiencing the same hype as in the days of Ali, when the whole world sat in front of the radio at night to watch the fight live. For us boxers, it means bigger stages, more international and more immediate than ever before.

Crawford sat in the front row

I’m a big fan of both fighters. I had the pleasure of meeting Crawford in person when I made my debut in Omaha, Nebraska. That is an encounter that I will never forget in retrospect. After all, not everyone can claim that this superstar was sitting in the front row at his first professional fight. I deliberately say “looking back” because I didn’t recognize him at the time … perhaps it was for the best. It certainly wouldn’t have helped my nervousness.

I’m looking forward to this fight with Crawford. You can’t ignore the fact that Crawford is moving up two weight classes. Still, I see him in his prime right now: he’s undefeated and hungry to make history. While Canelo has proven his place at the top for years, I now see Crawford as the man ready to join that tradition.