By Brian Webber: Canelo Alvarez says that a fight with welterweight Terence Crawford must occur at 168 lbs because he won’t come down to 158 for a catchweight contest to give him a significant handicap.
Fighting Crawford would make Canelo look like a cherry-picker because he’s already being criticized for fighting 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo. Going one step further to face the 147-pb champ Crawford would be a bad look on Canelo’s part.
Canelo feels that he won’t receive credit if he fights Crawford and beats him because he has a smaller frame and has never fought at 168.
That’s the weight that Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is insisting on for him to consider facing Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs). Now that Canelo has dismissed that notion, that eliminates Crawford as one of the many fighters that want to face the Mexican star.
Crawford is still on cloud nine from his win over Errol Spence Jr, and he apparently feels he’s on the same level as Canelo and Gervonta Davis, to where he’s asking for things that have no chance of happening.
Putting Canelo at a disadvantage would be good for Crawford because he will receive instant fame if he beats him. The boxing public wants Canelo to fight David Benavidez, not Crawford. Fans have been pushing for the Canelo-Benavidez for years, and it’s one that makes sense because they both fight at 168.
“We’ll see on September 30th,” said Canelo Alvarez to the media when asked about the perception out there that he’s lost a step. “I come from the injuries. It’s very difficult for me to show everything in one fight, but right now, I’m 100%.
“I can’t go down anymore,” said Canelo when asked if he’d be open to fighting Terence Crawford at a 158-lb catchweight.
“168, but like he says. ‘No one is going to give me credit for that,’” said Canelo when asked what weight he’d be willing to fight Crawford.
What Crawford should do is face Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis because that’s one that could be easily made, a lot of boxing fans would want to see it. Boots hasn’t been involved in any high-speed car crashes, wouldn’t be weight drained, or has had any past eye injuries.
“Like he say when they asked him for the Gervonta fight, they’re not going to get credit for that fight. It’s the same for me,” said Canelo.
I don’t need to take that fight because everybody will say, ‘He’s too small, he’s too small, he’s too small. He needs to enjoy his fight [against Errol Spence Jr.]. He deserves it.
“I like Spence and have all the respect for him, but I knew [he’d lose to Crawford]. The type of fighter Crawford is, it’s different.
“We’ll see. Everything is possible right now,” said Canelo when asked if he’d be interested in fighting the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade.
