The Netflix showcase of Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford came together largely because of Turki al-Sheikh and funding from Saudi Arabia.

Saturday night, Canelo Alvarez will put his undisputed super middleweight championship on the line against Terence Crawford, who enters the ring with a perfect 41-0 record and 31 knockouts. Crawford aims to continue his success in a higher weight class, while Alvarez looks to become the first fighter to defeat him.

SportsLine combat expert Josh Nagel has released his top boxing picks for Saturday's Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight on Netflix

Terence Crawford family tree: Meet boxing star's partner Alindra Person, seven kids, parents and more originally appeared on The Sporting News

For nearly two decades, Crawford refused to play the part boxing demanded of him. Now, in chasing Canelo Alvarez, he’s conceding what he once rejected — and daring to prove he never needed it in the first place.

Crawford was thought to be too small to make the move to 168 pounds to face Alvarez. After all, Crawford had only fought once above welterweight, a 2024 junior middleweight win over Israil Madrimov in what was Crawford's lone fight since he became undisputed welterweight champion with a win over Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023.

Despite bleeding profusely, Crawford was able to drive himself to the hospital and survive. He was fortunate enough to only need stitches, avoiding serious damage to his skull or brain. Crawford returned to the ring just two months later, defeating Michael Williams for his fifth professional win.