Terence Crawford appears to be finally getting his wish for a mega-fight against Canelo Alvarez in December or January.
Turki Alalshikh: The Man Behind the Vision
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh told ESPN that he’s going to be making the Canelo vs. Crawford fight. He didn’t say anything about Crawford needing to earn the fight by beating one of the top 168-lb contenders, so it looks like he’ll be good to go as long as he doesn’t get beaten this summer.
“I’m working to deliver [Canelo], but it will be a big fight [for Crawford]. I’ll discuss the names with him,” said His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to ESPN.
It’s an interesting idea that His Excellency has, but it’s going to require a lot of negotiating and Crawford jumping up two weight classes from 154 to 168 after a grueling fight in August. This fight might go up in smoke if Crawford loses his next fight.
What a Canelo vs. Crawford Fight Means for Boxing
Canelo-Crawford would be a good money fight, but it won’t prove that Crawford is the King of the 168-lb division if he wins. Canelo looked old and average in his win last Saturday night against Jaime Munguia.
If Crawford does win, it would just mean he beat an old fighter that well past his prime. For him to really prove something, he would need to beat David Benavidez or David Morrell, and he’s not going to fight those guys obviously. They’re too big and strong, and the money wouldn’t be worth it for him.
Fans on social media are mixed about the thought of Crawford skipping the line, moving up what would be two weight classes from 154 to 168 to get a title shot against the four-belt super middleweight champion Canelo without actually earning it.
Crawford getting a title shot without earning it would be reminiscent of Jermell Charlo coming up from 154 to fight Canelo last September to get an undeserved title shot and looking horrible. Terence will at least try and win, but you’d still like to see him prove himself by beating at least one of these killers:
David Morrell
Christian Mbilli
David Benavidez
Crawford’s Upcoming Challenge
The 36-year-old Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) still has a tough match ahead of him against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov that he needs to win on August 3rd. That’s a fight that Crawford must win or else it’s going to look bad if he backs into a fight against Canelo coming off a loss.
If Crawford loses that fight, it could dampen Alalshikh’s big plans for him. We don’t know whether Crawford’s chin will hold up under Madrimov’s firepower. But assuming the Nebraska native wins, a fight against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) is possible.
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