Former fighter turned promoter Dmitriy Salita will very much be an interested observer in the fight between undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) and Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Netflix.

By then, Salita will know if Vladimir Shishkin – the fighter he promotes – has solidified his seat as the mandatory challenger to face the winner. Shishkin (16-1, 10 KOs) faces Osleys Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs) in an IBF title eliminator at the Montreal Casino in Canada on Sept. 4.

“Crawford vs. Canelo is a real pick 'em fight, which is why there is so much discussion around this fight. I get different feelings about the fight every time I think about it,” Salita told The Ring.

“Some days I give the edge to Crawford based on his boxing IQ, who is the smarter guy and better boxer with more tools, pound for pound. But it's a big deal for him to be moving up this much weight. And other days, I go by the rule that a good big man beats a good little man. Canelo has been at 168 pounds for a long time and had some of his best victories in his career in this weight class.

“Crawford is a great boxer who is very smart and skilled. Canelo is as well, but he's the bigger man. He hasn't looked like his dominant self in recent fights. Canelo knows how to use his size and strength to his advantage. He's not slick in terms of showmanship, but he's a very effective boxer.

“Canelo will be victorious if he can impose his strength. If it's a smaller ring, Canelo has the edge. If Crawford can stay off the ropes, control the ring and keep it in the middle, he will be victorious. My logic says Canelo, but my heart gives Crawford a great chance because he's an unusual talent who can defy the odds.”

Oddsmakers are edging the fight toward Alvarez.

According to DraftKings, Alvarez is a -185 betting favorite compared to the +145 underdog Crawford.