Terence Crawford’s photographic memory is one skill that he will use to beat Canelo Alvarez, according to a former world champion he once dominated in a sparring session.
The undefeated WBA Light Middleweight champion is putting his 41-0 record on the line to jump up to Super Middleweight to challenge for Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed title on September 13.
There is very little between Bud and Canelo, with experts split on which fighter will walk out of Las Vegas as the new champion.
However, one former world champion who shared the ring with Terence Crawford thinks he has one skill that will make the difference in the battle with Canelo.
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Tim Bradley backs Terence Crawford to use his photographic memory to beat Canelo Alvarez
Former world champion Tim Bradley is backing Crawford to finish Canelo, thanks to a strange skill the undefeated fighter possesses.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bradley revealed that Crawford has a photographic memory, helping him figure out any fighter he comes up against.
He predicts that the ability to read his opponents will pay dividends and help him beat Canelo, calling him a “different level of fighter” and backing him to continue his unbeaten streak in Las Vegas.
Bradley said: “Crawford is the type of fighter that will read you. And if you do things consecutively over and over, he’s gonna figure it out, and he’s going to set a trap for you.
“He is, you know, when I sparred with him years ago, that’s what it was. You know what he did on Tuesday, he did something different on Thursday.
“Something different on Thursday. He ain’t had no coach or nothing. It was something that he processed sitting there at the hotel, just chilling by himself and going over the fight in his mind.
“This dude has a photographic memory. He remembered. ‘Oh, he did this. Okay, I got something for that. Oh, he did this. I got something for that.’
“That’s a different level of a fighter. That’s why I’m telling y’all, he’s going to figure this out. Yes, he is. He’s going to figure this out and he’s going to win this fight.
“This dude is a winner. Trust me. Anytime I stepped and raised my game up, so did he.”
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Tim Bradley gave Terence Crawford his big break when they sparred years ago
Bradley is well placed to talk about Crawford, as he suffered some big hits from the undefeated champion years before Bud became a household name.
In an interview with the TRU MEDIA PODCAST, Bradley revealed that he was dominated by Crawford in a sparring session back in 2011.
In the build-up to his fight with Devin Alexander, an unknown Crawford lit him up numerous times, leading Bradley to say he was a future champion in the making.
Bradley said: “I was getting ready for Devin Alexander, and I was in tip-top shape. I was sending everybody home, I was beating up everybody in the gym, sending them home, and I was running out of sparring partners.
“So I told my manager Cameron Duncan, ‘I need somebody that’s doable, somebody’s strong, somebody tough.’
He was like, ‘Well, I’ve seen Crawford, let’s see if he can come out.’ Got in contact with Crawford’s camp. He flew out by himself.
“He came into the gym – I saw him sitting in the gym with these little plaits in his hair. Very dark skinned, looked kind of scrawny, but looked strong. Very lanky, quiet, didn’t talk much.
We started sparring, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, he was lighting me up.’ Every mistake I made, he was catching, countering me. I was like, ‘My gosh.'”
Having experience in the ring with Crawford, Bradley has a good view on who should win his fight with Crawford on September 13.