Tool’s Adam Jones and Danny Carey serve up surprise prog rock spar to open the Canelo vs. Crawford boxing match

Adam Jones, of TOOL american Rock band, performs on the concert at Calle 2 on March 18, 2025 in Zapopan, Mexico
(Image credit: Medios y Media/Getty Images)

Tool's Adam Jones and Danny Carey lent their musical chops to the Canelo vs. Crawford boxing match on September 13, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, delivering a suitable prog rock spar ahead of the fight.

The very brief performance – 75 seconds in total – sounded like a climactic introduction to a Tool song and made for a rousing start to the highly anticipated fight, which was also streamed on Netflix and saw Crawford win by unanimous decision.

As fitting for such a high-profile affair, Jones brandished his Antique Silverburst Gibson Les Paul as the two virtuosos launched into what sounded like a spontaneous jam, complete with a Tool-style staccato riff and feedback aplenty.

Adam Jones and Danny Carey / Canelo vs Crawford - YouTube Adam Jones and Danny Carey / Canelo vs Crawford - YouTube
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The two recently guested at Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning extravaganza, alongside their Tool bandmates. Despite signing on late to the festivities, the event saw them perform Forty Six & 2, Ænema – from the 1996 album of the same name – and Black Sabbath's Hand of Doom from 1970's Paranoid.

Speaking about Tony Iommi's influence on his playing in an exclusive interview with Guitar World, Jones said, “Learning later in life that he’s missing parts of his fingers was inspiring because when you’re a kid, and you’re playing guitar, you go, ‘I could never be as good as a real rockstar,’ and here’s a guy that is a professional, a rockstar, and amazing, and he’s missing parts of his fingers. It’s inspiring. It makes you feel like, ‘I can do that.’”

As for Tool's upcoming album, Jones and Maynard James Keenan recently gave fans an update about its progress, stating that they're very much still in the writing process and that one of Jones' riffs is heavily inspired by Black Sabbath.

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Janelle Borg

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.

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