Terence Crawford says Canelo Alvarez at 168lbs ‘makes the most sense’

Terence Crawford fights Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles on August 3, but that hasn’t stopped him being asked questions about his future.

Crawford is in the sights of the 147lbs champion Jarron “Boots” Ennis, but the Nebraskan is looking elsewhere, and said that a fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez would mean more to his legacy, and his finances.

Crawford also said that he would go all the way up to 168lbs to face the Mexican, and, when asked whether Canelo could be the fight he has after Madrimov, he told the MMA Hour: “Could be. Could be. We will have to see. One fight at a time.”

Crawford will be trying to win Madrimov’s WBA title at 154lbs having unified at 147lbs against Errol Spence in July 2023. A year on Ennis is the IBF’s 147lbs champion and a fight with Crawford is attractive, but Crawford said Canelo would mean more. 

“Where I’m at right now, I’m looking at the fight that makes the most sense, and that’s not Boots Ennis,” the 36 year old said. “Canelo’s going to mean way more to my legacy – to my bank account – because at the end of the day, when boxing is done with, what will we have? I want to have a legacy that’s something that people talk about for the ages. Not only that, but I want to have a bank account that will last for ages as well.”

Crawford also said that Sebastian Fundora had turned down a fight with him, and that his agreement with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh was “fight by fight”.

He had hoped he would not be a year between fights, but had to wait to see whether Spence would enforce his rematch before moving on to other opportunities. 

“Everything kind of went cold turkey,” Crawford said of the proposed return.

“I was a little frustrated at first but at the same time there’s nothing I can do. I was contracted to the rematch.”

When the rematch didn’t get finalized, it left Crawford free to explore other options after that contract lapsed, and that led him to August 3 at the BMO Stadium against the undefeated Madrimov.