Terence Crawford smiled like the Cheshire cat last Saturday night when asked if he plans to fight undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez twice before retiring. That smile on Crawford’s face said it all. He’s hoping that Turki Alalshikh will give him two fights against the Mexican star rather than just one on September 12th in Las Vegas.
Crawford didn’t beat anyone to get the fight with Canelo. That’s the problem. He doesn’t want to go up to 168 to test himself against David Morrell or David Benavidez to show that he’s worthy of the massive windfall that he’s about to receive. He’s getting this fight for what he did in the past in other weight classes, against fighters like Jeff Horn, Kell Brook, Amir Khan, and Julius Indongo.
I wish, for once, that Turki would turn around and tell Crawford that he wants him to walk through fire to get that Canelo money by fighting Benavidez and Morrell in back-to-back fights. If he refuses, then move on to more deserving fighters who want to work for the Canelo fight.
$100 Million Smile
Crawford’s take for the Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) fight is estimated at around $100 million. So, if he fights him twice, he’ll retire with $220 million. Celebrity net worth estimates Crawford’s current fortune at $20 million, much of it from his last two fights against Israil Madrimov and Errol Spence.
He’d be worth a lot more if he stayed active, fighting three times a year instead of annually. If Terence did that, the chances of losing repeatedly would be high because he’s not the same fighter he once was since moving up to 154.
Crawford arguably lost his last fight against Israil Madrimov, but the judges gave him the decision. Even Canelo thought Crawford lost, saying he “lost or a draw” against Madrimov. So, if Bud did stay active, he would have been expected to fight killers like Janibek Alimkhnuly, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Jaron Ennis, and David Benavidez.
You can see why Crawford chose to sit on his backside waiting for the golden parachute retirement payday to fall into his jap by the forces of gravity without lifting a finger. It’s a kind of pathetic way to get the Canelo fight, especially when harder-working fighters like David Benavidez are ignored in favor of Crawford.
“Canelo is ‘The Face of Boxing.’ He’s the best fighter for Terence Crawford out there. He’s the biggest fight for Terence Crawford out there. That’s why Terence Crawford wants to take the opportunity to share the ring with another great,” said Crawford, speaking in the third person to Fight Hub TV, talking about his fight against Canelo Alvarez for September 12th in Las Vegas.
Crawford’s new habit of speaking in the third person is what some fans see as a sign that he’s become a narcissist, and his wins over soft opposition have gone to his head. He seems like a classic example of a boxer who believes they can walk on water after being fed too many tomato cans. They start thinking they’re omnipotent and can do anything.
Does Crawford think he can beat Canelo? I don’t think he does. If he did, he’d have moved up to 168 during the year off and taken on the top contenders, Diego Pacheco, Christian Mbilli, and Osleys Iglesias, to show he’s capable of defeating Alvarez.
The $200 Million Goal?
“On September 12th, we’re going to see if the weight makes a difference or not. One fight at a time,” said Crawford when asked if he plans on fighting Canelo twice.
“No, I don’t. I just think William [Scull] was doing a good job of neutralizing Canelo’s power punches. He was just moving a lot. I don’t know, because if you watched the styles that beat him [Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Dmitry Bivol], they didn’t move a lot. They moved a little bit, but not as much as William Scull.
“Top, baby. Come on,” said Crawford when asked where a win over Canelo places him among the all-time greats in boxing. “Be myself, that’s it,” said Crawford about what it’ll take for him to defeat Alvarez.
Last Updated on 05/05/2025
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