Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman says he believes he can “entice” Terence Crawford to return to 154 to face him for the “green” WBC junior middleweight title by beating champion Sebastian Fundora.
On the surface, it sounds like a wacky fantasy that Thurman has cooked up in his head, thinking he’d beat ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora, and then face Crawford to make gazillions.
The Fundora Factor
Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) and Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) are expected to be rescheduled for January 24th, 2026, or January 31st, 2026. They were supposed to fight on October 25, 2025, but Fundora suffered a hand injury, making it necessary to postpone the fight until next year.
“Thurman versus Crawford, I still think he wants to come back down. I still think that’s something for us,” said Keith Thurman to Brian Custer’s podcast about his belief that Terence Crawford would want to return to 154 to face him
Crawford’s Silence Says Plenty
What made Thurman think that Crawford wants to move back down to 154? He’s not said a word about returning to 154. The only thing he’s said since beating Canelo Alvarez on September 13th was that fighting at 160 is something that could interest him.
It’s believed that he’s going to stay at 168, waiting to see if Canelo will ask for a rematch because that’s his best option for a payday. Crawford wouldn’t be eager to fight 37-year-old ‘One Time’ Thurman at 154 for a payday that would likely be minuscule compared to the $50 million he just received for the Canelo fight.
Turki’s Role in the Fantasy
Turki Alalshikh would need to be interested in paying for a fight between Crawford and Thurman. I don’t know why he would, when many of the younger boxing fans have never seen Thurman fight. They don’t know who he is except for his physical appearance: a balding, 40-ish-looking person.
“Man, we should we should run it. Step in one time with the ‘One Time,’ baby,” said Thurman on his desperate hope that Bud Crawford will want to fight him. “I think I can entice Bud a little bit.”
Bud’s Bigger Game at 168
There are a lot of things that would have to fall into place for Thurman to get a massive payday fight against Crawford. These are the things that would have to happen:
- Thurman beats Fundora convincingly
- Crawford returns to 154
- Turki Alalshikh is valuing the matchup
- Bud would need to want the fight
- Commercial appeal
“I don’t know what entices him these days, but I feel like maybe, just maybe, the green belt might entice him just a little bit,” said Thurman on the possibility of Terence being interested in fighting him if he captures the WBC junior middleweight belt from Sebastian Fundora.
It’s doubtful that Crawford will see any value in fighting for the WBC 154-lb title if Thurman gets his hands on it by beating Fundora. The Omaha, Nebraska, native Terence already said that once he leaves a division, he never returns.
That would be a backwards move for Crawford to return to 154. He would have to deal with a lot of pressure to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis as well, and that would be a brutal fight for him at 38.
Olly Campbell’s Judgement: Dream On, Keith
Bud Crawford is focused on collecting division world titles to cement his legacy, so he can make a case for himself to be viewed as one of the four on the Mount Rushmore of boxing. That’s his hangup right now, and why he’d likely not be interested in returning to 154.
If Thurman wants a fight against the superstar, Crawford, he would need to move up to 168 or 160. Wherever he is or going to, Thurman needs to head in that direction. He can’t assume that he’s on an even playing field with Crawford in status and negotiations. This isn’t 2016.
Last Updated on 10/21/2025
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