Terence Crawford’s hopes of getting a fantasy fight against Canelo Alvarez next year aren’t promising. Promoter Eddie Hearn says he doesn’t think super middleweight champion Canelo is “mad” about fighting Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) because he won’t receive credit.
Canelo’s Price Tag Might Be Too High
Hearn says Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) will have a dollar figure that he feels a fight against Crawford is worth, and if His Excellency Turki Alalshikh can meet that number, the match can get made. However, given Canelo’s reluctance to fight Crawford, he’s likely to ask for an amount that Turki isn’t willing to pay.
If Canelo asks for $150 million, will His Excellency meet his price? That’s a reasonable number for him to ask for. Floyd Mayweather Jr. reportedly took home $240 million for his fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015. Canelo might want similar money if he’s fighting Crawford.
If Mayweather were paid that kind of money for a mismatch against a washed Pacquiao, Canelo would deserve similar money fighting Crawford.
If it were a match that would guarantee a profit, it would make sense, but Crawford isn’t a crossover star, as we’re seeing with his fight against Israil Madrimov this Saturday with lagging ticket sales.
A Better Option for Turki
Turki would be better off paying Crawford to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis because that fight wouldn’t cost a huge amount and would potentially create a new star. If the young Boots beats Crawford, he will be a PPV superstar.
“I don’t think Crawford beats Canelo because the weights too much. You’re not just talking about 168 pounds. You’re talking about a guy that is going to be 185 in the ring,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing News about his belief that Terence Crawford won’t be able to be at Canelo Alvarez at super middleweight if he faces him next after Israil Madrimov on Saturday night.
Crawford is probably too small to beat Canelo and would have holes punched in him each time he gets hit.
A Cautious and Uninspiring Fight
We’d likely see Crawford fighting cautiously, using his jab, and doing his best Mayweather imitations, looking to win an ugly decision. It would be a replay of Canelo’s fight against Jermell Charlo, with Crawford moving and fighting scared for twelve rounds. After getting the bag, Crawford would probably disappear as Jermell has after fighting Canelo.
“It’s a strange fight, but obviously it’s a fantasy fight,” said Hearn about the Canelo vs. Crawford celebrity match. “Sometimes, these fights get made. I’m not sure that will get made. I don’t think Canelo is mad about that fight. I think he feels like, ‘What do I get out of beating a 147 guy or 154? No one is going to give me the credit.’ He’d take any fight if the business is right.”
Canelo has already said he has no interest in fighting Crawford many times, and it’s unclear why the Nebraska native continues to talk about the fight. Crawford needs to listen to what Canelo is saying and stop going by what he wants. Terence’s fixation isn’t healthy and is a waste of time.
“I guess he has his ideas of what he should be making in that fight, and if His Excellency can meet that, he’ll take it. If he can’t or if he doesn’t want to, then he’ll probably not make the fight,” said Hearn.
If Canelo doesn’t want this fight with Crawford, he may ask for more than Turki is willing to pay. It’s not a fight he’s been asking for, and if Canelo doesn’t want someone, he won’t face them. That’s just the way it is. He’s too rich for him to be forced into a fight where he’ll receive nothing but criticism from fans.
If Crawford wants to fight someone, he needs to show some bravery by taking on these killers:
– Jaron Ennis
– David Benavidez
– David Morrell
– Dmitry Bivol
– Artur Beterbiev
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