Canelo Alvarez will 'almost have to kill' Terence Crawford to beat him, warns boxing legend Roy Jones Jr

Roy Jones Jr has delivered a chilling warning to Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez ahead of this weekend's super-fight with Terence Crawford, insisting the Mexican superstar will 'almost have to kill' the American if he wants to beat him.

Crawford, undefeated at 41-0, last fought in August 2024 when he moved up to junior middleweight and defeated Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision. 

He is now stepping up again, this time to the super-middleweight division, to challenge the undisputed champion, Canelo, in what promises to be one of the biggest fights of the year.

Jones believes Canelo will have his hands full against a fighter whose hunger, motivation and mindset make him one of the most dangerous opponents in boxing today.

'Crawford's hunger benefits him both in camp and in the fight', Jones told Daily Mail Sport. 'People don't know, since that fight with Madrimov he's been going home and building his body up for this one against Canelo. 

'He knew where he was going; that's motivation. When he gets to this fight on Saturday night, Canelo is going to have to knock him out - or almost kill him - to win, because he's that motivated to win. He isn't coming to give up anything. Canelo is going to have to knock him out, or you're going to lose.' 

Jones, who reigned as one of boxing's most dominant fighters in the 1990s and early 2000s, says Crawford's desire to prove himself is at the heart of his relentless drive.

'He hasn't got the recognition yet,' Jones explained. 'He's only had one fight that people really gave him true recognition for and that was against Errol Spence. He had been hunting for that for five years.

'He finally got it, but he wants more than that. This is the feeling he's been looking for. This is an opportunity for him to get more. He's thirsty for that winning energy, that mindset, that being on top of the boxing master.

'He wants to be the alpha dog, like every boxer should want to be. And now he gets a chance to get paid for it and prove it. He's in heaven.'

For Alvarez, the fight would present a different kind of challenge. The Mexican has conquered divisions from light-middleweight to light-heavyweight, defeating names such as Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, and Caleb Plant along the way.

But while his size and experience at higher weights could give him an edge, Jones believes Canelo will be tested like never before by Crawford's unrelenting will to win.

'Canelo's the bigger guy, sure,' Jones said. 'But that won't matter if he can't match Crawford's hunger. If you don't knock him out, you're going to lose.'