Terence Crawford is daring to be great yet again, shifting his focus from his Errol Spence Jr. rematch and calling out Canelo Alvarez. “Bud” has let it be known on social media that he believes Canelo is the best fight for him, especially since he is not planning to stick around the boxing game too much longer.
After silencing all doubters with his one-sided win over Errol Spence back in July, Crawford knows that his stock is up and is attempting to talk himself into another big fight with the current face of the sport. However, Canelo’s former co-promoter, Bernard Hopkins, thinks the matchup is akin to a potentially lethal proposition for Crawford.
“Who? [Terence Crawford]. Crawford cares about his life,” said Hopkins, per Boxing Social. “What does that fight do for Canelo? I just think there are so many other fights to make that are realistic and make sense and less life-risking on top of the risk that we take stepping in there with guys our weight.”
Hopkins Joins The Crawford Doubters
Crawford has fought from lightweight to welterweight, becoming undisputed in the junior welter and welterweight divisions. He is the first male fighter to be a two-weight class undisputed world champion in the four-belt era — something his contemporaries like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could not do.
Alvarez has fought from welterweight to light heavyweight and is currently undisputed at super middleweight. He recently took a lopsided victory against Jermell Charlo, who stepped up three weight classes to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight titles and came up short.
Charlo’s example has made many feel that Canelo’s current weight is unbeatable. However, Canelo was beaten twice when he dared to be great, once against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at light middleweight, where he had the advantage against Mayweather. The other was when he attempted to fight at light heavyweight and was handled by Russian Dmitry Bivol.
Crawford would have to step up four weight classes to see Alvarez at supper middleweight and that is an arduous task to be as quick and elusive with more weight. Many others agree with Hopkins that Crawford would be unwise to face Alvarez.
Risk vs. Reward
“I think Canelo wipes the floor with him,” Top Rank founder and chairman, Bob Arum told a group of reporters and videographers recently at his company’s Las Vegas gym. “I love Crawford. I told you [with] Crawford and Spence that Crawford would beat the hell out of him. But Canelo is a different proposition. I think it’s an interesting fight, but I think there’s only one winner.”
Hopkins doubled down, saying unless Canelo came down to the middleweight limit of 160 pounds, there was no way Crawford could defeat him at the 168 pounds super middleweight limit.
“Canelo isn’t coming down to 160 pounds,” Hopkins continued to Boxing Social. “If you can’t hurt a guy like Canelo, and you don’t have height and depth to at least have something to work with, then we’re going to see another boring fight, or as I say, smart fight. I understand the money grab, but Crawford isn’t 26 (years old). It’s gossip. I guarantee you it’s not going to happen.”
David Benavidez is definitely in scope with Canelo having two fights left on his Premier Boxing Champions contract. Crawford might be a viable option if he can get past the “Mexican Monster” and with everyone lumping both Charlo brothers into Jermell’s failure against Canelo.
The question Crawford must ask himself: is the risk of tarnishing your unblemished legacy worth the reward against the toughest test of his career in Canelo?
