Eddie Hearn says Canelo Alvarez chose Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia to fight instead of Terence Crawford because he didn’t want to fight a runner.
Crawford has already shown that he jabs, moves, and holds a lot when he fights guys with power. He makes it boring, and Canelo doesn’t like fighting those types because he wants to entertain the fans. Canelo doesn’t like boring fighters, and I don’t blame him.
Canelo Craves “War,” Not Track Meets
Hearn states that Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) already fought Jermell Charlo, and he was disappointed because he ran the whole time, and Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) would do the same.
He says Canelo doesn’t want to fight runners. He wants guys to come right at him and “have a war.” This isn’t good news for Crawford if the Mexican superstar Canelo chooses not to fight him because he cannot force him to give him the match.
Crawford won’t fight his way into a mandatory spot because even if he did, Canelo might elect to ignore him like he did David Benavidez.
Alternative options for Terence:
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
- Sebastian Fundora
- Vergil Ortiz
- Tim Tszyu
Crawford may need to start planning a secondary choice to fight if Canelo decides not to fight him.
Hearn feels that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would be Crawford’s ideal opponent, but he and his coach, Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, would need to change their attitude about him.
They’ve been stubborn and pig-headed about their unwillingness to face the young phenom Boots, and they would have to overcome their hardened stance.
Is Crawford a “Generational Great”?
“Crawford is a generational great. So maybe he can find a way to do it,” Eddie Hearn told Fight Hub TV when asked if Terence Crawford could defeat Canelo Alvarez at 168. I feel he’d be hugely outsized against Canelo Alvarez.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call Crawford a “generational great” because he’s never faced great talents in any of the three weight classes he’s occupied. I would say he’s done a great job of picking and choosing what’s there at the time.
Crawford’s Three Division World Title Wins:
- Errol Spence: 147
- Jeff Horn: 147
- Julius Indongo: 140
- Viktor Postol: 140
- Thomas Dulorme: 140
- Ricky Burns: 135
“You’ve got two pound-for-pound greats in Canelo and Crawford. Danny Lalonde was not pound-for-pound great. He was a decent guy,” said Hearn when told that Sugar Ray Leonard moved up from middleweight to light heavyweight to stop WBC 175-lb champion Danny Lalonde in the ninth round on November 7th, 1988, at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas.
Crawford would find it impossible to follow in Sugar Ray Leonard’s footsteps in moving up to 168 or 175 because there isn’t an easy mark for him to beat. Leonard had it easy with the one-armed Lalonde to pick up the WBC 175-lb title in 1988.
He’d fail if Leonard were around today and attempted to capture a belt from Canelo at 168 or Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev at 175.
Canelo’s Preference for Aggressive Fighters
“I don’t think Canelo wants to fight speedy guys who box off the backfoot and counter punch,” said Hearn. “That’s why I think he liked the Munguia fight and he liked the Berlanga fight because they’re two guys that will come face-on and have a war with him. He likes those kinds of fights.”
Canelo has already stated that he’s not interested in fighting Crawford and given his reasons for not wanting that fight. He says he won’t receive credit from fans and that it would be a no-win situation for him.
Crawford is the only one who gains from that fight because he gets a big bag of cash; all he has to do is be competitive, and he can claim a moral victory.
“He was disappointed with the [Jermell] Charlo fight because he just ran the whole fight, and Crawford would probably do the same,” said Hearn. “That’s how you’d fight him. You have to fight him in parts. You’d have to use your movement if you’re Terence Crawford in that fight.”
Crawford’s fans probably won’t be happy to hear Hearn telling it like it is, but that’s the cold reality of the situation. If Crawford fights Canelo, he’ll run once he gets hit for the first time. If Crawford’s initial game plan were to fight aggressively, he’d change it up and fight defensively once he gets a taste of Canelo’s power.
“The last thing you want to do is stand and trade with Canelo with the weight and everything,” said Hearn. “So, he [Crawford] would definitely fight defensively off the back foot. So, he’d move a lot.”
Crawford would move, change directions, hold, and wrestle in that order against Canelo. It’s not worth it for Canelo to fight someone like that now in his career. He’s made too much money entertaining fans to agree to face someone who will bore them. Canelo has standards that he must keep up.
If Crawford wants to earn a fight against Canelo, he needs to take on David Benavidez and David Morrell. Beating both of those guys would prove that Crawford deserves a fight against Canelo, but since he won’t do it, he’s just another needy fighter looking for a handout.
“He’d be moving a lot in that fight. I’m not saying he’d be running, but he’d be moving a lot. Of course, that’s the way to beat him [Canelo],” said Hearn.
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