If it were anyone else, Eddie Hearn would easily be on the side of Canelo Alvarez. Terence Crawford, however, makes that decision incredibly difficult.

The longtime promoter will be sitting front row Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the two all-time greats get it on.

From the moment it was announced, Hearn gave a small edge to Alvarez. His size, strength, power, and of course, skills, normally overwhelm the opposition. With this being Crawford’s first super middleweight debut, he should be at a physical disadvantage. Still, Crawford isn’t the sort of guy who Hearn is willing to bet against.

“I probably lean slightly to Crawford in this fight,” Hearn told FightHype.com. “I think Canelo would be the favorite going in, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Crawford could do it.”

Dddsmakers don't believe in him. The betting world is giving Alvarez, the undisputed 168-pound champion, the edge.

Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) has seen it all. He’s found a way to tame brawlers such as Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga, and also managed to get it done against pure boxers in Erislandy Lara and Austin Trout.

Recently, he solved the bemusing puzzle that William Scull presented, beating the Cuban on May 3 in Saudi Arabia to reclaim the IBF title he had vacated.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) hasn’t been particularly active. After becoming a two-division undisputed champion thanks to his 2023 stoppage win over Errol Spence, the Omaha, Nebraska, native moved up in weight.

In his 154-pound debut, he scored a close, but clear decision win over Israil Madrimov a year ago in Los Angeles.

Hearn, who promotes Madrimov, was front row there, too, naturally siding with the Uzbek underdog to retain his title. Did Crawford deserve the win? Without question. But did he look like his dominating self? Far from it, Hearn insisted.

When it comes to skills, Hearn will never question Crawford. But absorbing blows from a much bigger opponent for 12 consecutive rounds? That’s the intriguing part.

“I guess the big conversation is, how the weight will affect Bud and how will he respond to the size?” Hearn said. “When he gets hit, that’s really the million-dollar question.”