Don't let the hype distract from a fight for the ages

Canelo Alvarez is boxing's most influential fighter. An icon and a world champion, he finds himself at the centre of a colossal fight in Las Vegas on Saturday. Canelo will defend the undisputed super-middleweight world titles at Allegiant Stadium on the edges of the city's neon strip against unbeaten American Terence Crawford.

- STEVE BUNCE

It is a fight that has divided boxing fans and the boxing business. The contest is being promoted by Dana White, the man behind the rise and rise of the UFC, and it is his first boxing promotion. Obviously, it is being bankrolled by Turki Alalshikh, the man behind the Saudi Arabian boxing revolution, and it is not his first promotion.

Canelo against Crawford is also being screened on Netflix, which is part of the broadcaster's apparent move to cover increasing amounts of live sport. If it all seems a bit new and edgy, just remember that Canelo and Crawford have been shaped by a life in boxing's most torrid and old-fashioned gyms. They are certainly not Love Island rejects or two men in a freak fight. Please, don't let the hype and glam distract you from a genuinely fantastic fight.