LAS VEGAS – Marco Antonio Barrera has described as “very complicated” plans for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to fight Terence Crawford later in 2025.

The 34-year-old Alvarez on Saturday contests the undisputed super-middleweight title against the IBF champion William Scull in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

If, as is widely expected, he wins, the first defence of his second reign as undisputed champion is set to be against Crawford in what would represent the biggest fight of the year.

However Barrera, like Alvarez one of Mexico’s finest ever fighters, has questioned Crawford’s true suitability to prove a challenge for him at 168lbs.

The reality remains that Alvarez-Crawford represents a fight between one fighter who has won a title at light heavyweight and another who won his first at lightweight. 

Should it be confirmed, it would also come at a time when David Benavidez – and not Cuba’s 32-year-old Scull – continues to be considered Alvarez’s biggest threat.

“I see it as very complicated,” Barrera, who struggled at lightweight at the end of a decorated career in which he won his first title at super bantamweight, told BoxingScene. 

“My own personal opinion, because Crawford has to go up three weight divisions – he didn’t give a great performance against the last guy he fought, [in August 2024, Israil] Madrimov, at 154. He didn’t look great.

“[But] all the fights are difficult. Anything could happen.

“I don’t have a personal opinion [about who his next opponent should be], but all of the people that make comments, they want to see him fight [David] Benavidez.”

Alvarez recently spoke of his plans to retire at “37 or 38”. When that time comes he will require a long-term successor as the focal point of Cinco de Mayo weekend, and asked who he expects to succeed him, Barrera – who is in Vegas to support his compatriot Rafael Espinoza ahead of his WBO featherweight title defence against Edward Vazquez on the undercard of Sunday’s fight between Naoya Inoue and Ramon Cardenas – responded: “The first announcement is this Sunday, and his name is Rafael Espinoza.

“I don’t know how much that fight [between Alvarez and Scull appeals], but the fact that Canelo is fighting in Saudi Arabia – that’s the event.

“He’s going to make a good impression, because the opponent isn’t that great. But, still, everybody likes to see Canelo fight – they’ll get what they want to see.”