Terence Crawford believes a struggle between him and Canelo Alvarez is feasible if he will get via his August third title problem in opposition to WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on ESPN+ PPV on the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
There’s a number of uncertainty about whether or not the 36-year-old Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) will get the chance to scoop up that big payday in opposition to undisputed tremendous middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) within the first half of 2025.
The Madrimov Hurdle
Crawford has these hurdles that might stop him from reeling within the Canelo fish in his web.
- Israil Madrimov: This can be a harmful struggle for the growing older Crawford as a result of he’s preventing in a brand new weight class, coming off a 13-month layoff, and going through the most important puncher within the 154-lb division. Crawford has gotten away with preventing solely 4 instances since 2020 because of the opposition he’s been going through, which has largely been sub-level guys.
- Canelo’s lack of curiosity: Canelo has already made it clear in quite a few interviews that he has no intention of entertaining a struggle in opposition to Crawford. Typically, when Canelo says he doesn’t need to struggle somebody, he means it, they usually’re not going to be given an opportunity to struggle him, irrespective of how a lot they name-drop, beg, or try and stress him. Canelo is filthy wealthy, and being lured with extra tens of millions doesn’t change his thoughts except it’s an infinite pile of gold bullion that he can swim in.
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis: Promoter Eddie Hearn, who’s shut associates with His Excellency, is pushing laborious for his fighter, Boots Ennis, to face Crawford subsequent. His Excellency spoke to Hearn on Facetime final night time after Boots’ win over David Avanesyan and talked about that he needs to make that struggle occur. If Crawford takes that struggle and will get overwhelmed by the younger gun, Ennis, he can say goodbye to the Canelo struggle. If Canelo ever wanted an excuse for why he shouldn’t struggle Crawford, he would have one proper there.
“I feel that’s a practical struggle. I feel that struggle can occur, and we will see,” stated Terence Crawford to the Day by day Mail when requested if he thinks a struggle between him and undisputed tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez can occur.
The Path to Canelo: A Slim Likelihood
There’s a slim risk that Crawford will get the possibility to struggle Canelo earlier than the top of his profession, nevertheless it’s not good. Too many issues stand in the way in which of Crawford getting that struggle, beginning together with his conflict in opposition to Madrimov.
That’s not the kind of opponent to take whenever you’re as outdated as Crawford, who’s a 12 months older than 35-year-old David Avanesyan, coming off a 13-month layoff, preventing in a weight class you’ve by no means competed in. The age, inactivity, weak opposition, and preventing in a brand new weight class are sufficient to scupper Crawford’s ship as she sails for the Canelo goldmine.
“I really feel as if boxing ought to dig up sure fights that must be made as a substitute of claiming, ‘Oh, this man, he doesn’t promote” or ”This man will not be prepared,” or ”This man didn’t carry out nicely in his final struggle,”” stated Crawford in making an argument for himself getting the Canelo struggle.
Crawford’s Name for the Finest to Combat the Finest
“Fighters ought to struggle one another, and the very best within the division ought to struggle the very best within the division,” stated Crawford.
If Crawford really believes that the very best ought to struggle the very best in every division, he ought to have stayed at 147 to face Jaron Ennis somewhat than shifting as much as 154 to face Madrimov. Why didn’t Crawford struggle Boots earlier than leaving the load class?
Errol Spence Jr. wasn’t the very best when Crawford fought him. Spence had been out of the ring for 17 months, been concerned in two automotive crashes since 2019, gained a number of weight that wanted to be trimmed off, and was only a shell of the fighter he’d as soon as been when Terence fought him.
