He had the perfect walkout song. When Omaha’s champ Bud Crawford went up multiple weight classes to challenge Mexico’s super-middleweight title holder, an iconic song helped set the stage for his decisive win over Canelo Álvarez a few days before Mexican Independence Day.
The song was “Canción del Mariachi.” Crawford carried an actual black guitar case in homage to the musician-turned-vigilante protagonist in director Robert Rodriguez’ film trilogy (El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico). Along with the cinematic prop, Crawford carried a dangerous weapon—his fists.
American flags waved on screens all around the packed Las Vegas stadium as Crawford met Álvarez while also paying respect to his international fans (including 41 million watching on Netflix). His song choice simultaneously represented his local Omaha roots—thanks to a performance by a hometown band led by his friend, Mexican-American singer Rosendo Robles of Omaha…