Charles Conwell wants the big names at junior middleweight, but he also recognizes why one of those big names might not be sticking around their weight class.
That big name is Terence Crawford, the former Ring champion at 135lbs who went on to become undisputed at 140 and 147. Crawford added the WBA world title at 154 in August with a unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov.
Instead of taking on some of the other titleholders or contenders in this talented division, Crawford could instead jump up to 168lbs to challenge super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
Conwell, a 27-year-old who has yet to have his first title shot, understands that the 37-year-old Crawford is at a very different stage in his career.
“What else is there for Terence Crawford to do and who else is there for him to fight to cement his legacy more than he already has?” Conwell said in an interview with Gerry Cooney and Randy Gordon, the hosts of At the Fights on SiriusXM. “Who else is there for him to beat that’s bigger and better than Canelo Alvarez?”
Crawford earned good money during the many years he was promoted by Top Rank, but the biggest fights and paydays eluded him until 2023, when he headlined a Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view against Errol Spence for all four major welterweight world titles.
There’s far less time ahead of Crawford than there is behind him, which means Crawford is aiming to build up his bank account before hanging up his gloves. A fight with Canelo at 168 would earn Crawford far more than any other bout at 154.
Money does matter, yes, but money isn’t the only thing that this fight would bring if Crawford were to pull off the upset.
“As far as legacy over money, with today’s fighters, I feel like it’s money first with today’s fighters,” Conwell said. “And I understand because money is definitely important. Like Floyd Mayweather said, you can’t eat legacy. You can’t take legacy home. You can’t cash legacy at the bank. […] As far as Crawford, I feel like this is a legacy fight and I feel like it’s a big money fight. It’s two in one for him.”
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