LOS ANGELES – Canelo Alvarez was universally considered the pound-for-pound king four years ago when he became the undisputed super middleweight champion.

Alvarez’s 2021 Fighter of the Year award-winning campaign featured knockout wins against Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders, and the overmatched Avni Yildirim.

But Alvarez has not scored a stoppage win since.

Over his last five fights, Alvarez has notched unanimous decision wins against Gennadiy Golovkin, John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, Jaime Munguia, and Edgar Berlanga.

Although Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) has knocked down his last four foes, he hasn’t finished them before the final bell.

Terence Crawford, who’s supposed to face Alvarez in the main event of a Riyadh Season card in September if the Mexican superstar successfully gets past William Scull in the main bout of a DAZN PPV on May 3, believes he’s the perfect opponent to invigorate Alvarez after a series of workmanlike wins.

“Canelo has been holding back a lot in his last few fights,” Crawford told The Ring during an extensive and exclusive interview. “I don't think Canelo has really been as excited to get up for those fights. I think he held Munguia up. I think he could have done more damage but the respect that he had for Munguia, he just didn't want to hurt him too much.

“With Berlanga, it was what it was. He showed a dominant performance. He just felt like he didn't have to do too much of anything. With Charlo, Charlo was moving a lot. Canelo won every round. He didn't really feel the need to go in there and just maul him down. With me, he's going to be the best Canelo that we have seen yet.”

Like Alvarez, Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is a fellow four-division champion, collecting crowns at 135, 140, 147, and 154 pounds. Alvarez’s titles have been won across 154, 160, 168, and 175 pounds.

With Alvarez’s pool of potential opponents running dry, Crawford is ready to put his pristine record on the line to further his case as an all-time great.

“The fight that is meant to happen, happens,” said Crawford. “I don't get all up into how it happened, it's the fact that it's happening. It's a challenge for both of us. A lot of people are mad that I got the opportunity. They don't want to see me with the opportunity for their own personal reasons. Everything that is meant for me to happen, will happen.”