Crawford Must Stay Active If He Wants Canelo

Terence Crawford should remain active in the hope of securing the Canelo Alvarez fight.
Crawford has only boxed once a year since 2020, as the 37-year-old is at the tail end of his career. He won against Israil Madrimov in his last fight, which was his first at 154 pounds. He secured the WBA Junior Middleweight Belt and became a four-weight world champion. Crawford’s legacy is already intact since he is an undisputed champion in two weight classes, having won the titles 140 and 147 pounds. But there are doubts about his future. He could stay busy and box various opponents at 154 pounds.
The primary one would be Sebastian Fundora. The latter is the WBO and WBC Junior Middleweight Champion. He is coming off a victory against Tim Tsyzu. This would set up a massive unification fight, taking Crawford a step closer to becoming undisputed in a third weight class.
Crawford’s Options
Fundora is likely to face Errol Spence Jr. next. If Spence were to come out with a win, that could also set up a big rematch for a unification. There were suggestions that Spence did not perform his best since he struggled to make welterweight. A rematch at 154 pounds would remove any doubt.
Alternatively, Crawford could take on Tszyu. The Australian is coming off a KO loss against Bakhram Murtazaliev. Before that, he suffered a loss to Fundora. Tszyu is looking to secure a world title shot. Crawford could use a Tszyu fight to keep himself ticking over, knowing that Tim is no longer the same fighter. Equally, Crawford could take on Jaron Ennis. Ennis is the IBF Welterweight Champion who is struggling to make the big fights.
Ennis would have to move up to 154 pounds to face Bud. He would be the B-side in negotiations. Ennis holds no belts and lacks big-fight experience. Since he has not faced elite-level opposition, there is an opportunity for Crawford to take that fight before Boots becomes the superstar that he is expected to be. Either way, Crawford has a lot of thinking to do. However, the primary focus should be on staying in good shape, which can only be helped if he continues to box.
Crawford’s Future
“What’s the motivation to get in there with Boots really? Canelo is like, ‘What do I get for fighting this guy? He even said to me in the ring about why he wants that Canelo fight. ‘It’s not so much that I want it. It’s the payday that comes with it, a nice check that comes along with it,” Todd Grisham
“That’s the only fight out there that generates the kind of revenue that can get Terence Crawford out of bed, back in the gym, and ready for a big fight. I know Teofimo is out there trying to make something happen. I know Vergil [Ortiz] is out there probably trying to make something happen, but the only guy that I think can get Terence Crawford back in the ring is Canelo Alvarez,” Mannix said
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