Terence Crawford’s assistant coach, Bernie Davis, says he’s upset with Turki Alalshikh for hinting that he wants David Benavidez to come down to 168 to fight Crawford. He says that Turki is trying to control Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) with money.
An Obligation to Take Risks
Of course, Turki paid Crawford a lot of money in fights where he was seen as having the advantage going in against a faded Canelo Alvarez and Israil Madrimov.
Those were gimmees for Crawford in which he wasn’t risking. But now that Alalshikh is hinting about wanting Crawford to take on Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs), he’s not on board, and his training team doesn’t want to take that fight.
Gimmees for Crawford: Risk-Free Fights
- Canelo Alvarez
- Israil Madrimov
Why shouldn’t Turki want Crawford to test himself after the two gimmees he gave him? Doesn’t Bud have a sense of obligation for Alalshikh to pay him back by fighting whoever he wants this time? We know that Crawford wants Canelo. But how about him doing a solid for Turki now?
Crawford, his trainers, and pro-media have made a big fuss about his win over Canelo, believing it’s enough to put him among the all-time greats in boxing. Those fighters were different.
They weren’t avoiding risky fights, even late in their careers. To be among the all-time great fighters, they should have to take fights where they’re the underdog and have the potential to lose. Why won’t Crawford take the risks that these fighters did?
All-Time Greats Don’t Duck Fights
- Sugar Ray Leonard
- Muhammad Ali
- Henry Armstrong
- Roberto Duran
- Thomas Hearns
You can’t put Crawford in with those guys if he’s going to turn down the Benavidez fight. He doesn’t belong on the top 10 all-time greats with his non-risking attitude. You have to have shown courage during your career to be in the company with the all-time greats. I don’t see that with Crawford, and definitely not with the people who train him. I smell fear.
Terence’s resume is still weak, filled with lesser guys or ones that were at the ends of their careers. Who has he beaten? Shawn Porter? He was 34 at the end. Errol Spence? He’d looked like a broken fighter since his 2019 car crash.
Bernie states that Benavidez is a “big guy” and should be fighting light heavyweights Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. If not them, Davis says Benavidez should fight Canelo Alvarez, even though he’s coming off a loss to Crawford.
Fear From Crawford’s Corner?
“I agree no. David Benavidez has always been a big guy. He never fought at a lighter weight. That disturbs me about Turki,” said Bernie Davis to MillCity Boxing. “That p**** me off and make me start talking s*** just for stupid s*** like that. It’s like he got the money. ‘Basically, I can control you with the money. Now, I’m going to present the Benavidez fight.’
“No, no, no, no. Benavidez should be going to fight Bivol, Beterbiev because he’s ready for that type of competition,” said Davis.
Will Turki Subsidize Another Gimmick?
Turki is clearly hinting that he wants Crawford to fight Benavidez. So, it doesn’t matter what Davis wants. He’s just an assistant trainer. Turki is the one who is dropping hints. Who is Crawford going to fight if not Benavdez? Does he expect Turki to pay him $100 million to fight one of the middleweights, like 42-year-old Erislandy Lara, Carlos Adames, or Janibek Alimkhnuly?
If Crawford is going to cherry-pick opponents for his first defense of his 168-lb title, should Turki continue to subsidize his fights? I don’t see why he would.
Last Updated on 09/23/2025
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