NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, famous for both his stellar basketball career and charming personality off of it, recently made headlines online when he voiced his predictions regarding Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford boxing match scheduled to take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this September. O’Neal favored Crawford in this prediction which resulted in widespread reactions both from boxing community members as well as from fans alike.
O’Neal’s Bold Prediction
Shaquille O’Neal expressed confidence in Terence Crawford when approached by a reporter and predicted he would not only dominate but also knock out Canelo Alvarez. O’Neal justified this prediction by declaring him the greatest fighter ever; such praise has since caused much debate among fans and enthusiasts of boxing alike. Unfortunately for O’Neal though, Crawford must switch weight classes when facing Alvarez at 168 lbs – raising doubts as to his capability of producing knockout victories over experienced fighter like Alvarez. Despite Crawford’s proven track record against Israil Madrimov in 154lbs division raised doubts as regards whether O’Neal’s forecast could come to fruition given that Crawford will need to move up two weight classes to fight Alvarez at 168 lbs vs Alvarez himself!
Fan Reactions to O’Neal’s Prediction
Shaq’s comments quickly provoked widespread online reaction, with many emphasizing his need to stick with basketball commentary rather than boxing predictions. Critics highlighted Crawford’s last performance and raised doubts regarding his knockout power against Alvarez who has never been knocked down before; others brought up Alvarez’s impressive durability who had not been knocked down despite all attempts of Crawford knocking him down before this matchup was scheduled; although such statements remain uncertain; reminding us to embrace boxing’s unpredictable nature while reaping such bold predictions as exciting opportunities!
Conclusion
Shaquille O’Neal’s predictions regarding Canelo vs Crawford fight have drawn mixed responses, yet again illustrating how sports is so captivating as opinions generate debates and spark discussion. Now as fight date nears, everyone in boxing awaits O’Neal’s prediction either to come true or fail completely – either way it demonstrates that when legends from one sport weigh in on another sport’s legends it gets our full attention.