By Allan Fox: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says Canelo Alvarez would destroy welterweight champion Terence Crawford if that fight were to play out.
Crawford is still hoping Canelo will bless him with a fight at 168, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen. Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) might not want to deal with the backlash he’d receive from boxing fans for fighting a guy three divisions below him by facing Crawford.
It wouldn’t be a big deal for Canelo to throw a bone at the needy Crawford if he’d been fighting the elite-level fighters at 168, like David Benavidez & David Morrell Jr., but Alvarez has been avoiding them like the plague.
It would make Canelo look cowardly by facing Crawford while swerving Morrell & Benavidez & 168.
Allan Fox doesn’t think Canelo wants to be made to look like he’s a chicken by fighting an old guy from the 147-lb division instead of the killers that have been hot on his heels at 168, wanting to take him apart.
Crawford doesn’t deserve a fight with Canelo unless he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice by taking on the murderer’s row fighters at 168 first.
“I think Canelo wipes the floor with him. Canelo is a different proposition. It’s an interesting fight, but I think there’s only one winner,” said Bob Arum to the media, saying that Terence Crawford wouldn’t stand a chance against Canelo Alvarez.
Crawford could make life easier for Canelo is he showed some initiative by moving up to 168 and earning the payday the American away by fighting Benavidez, Morrell, Caleb Plant & Demetrius Andrade instead of expecting Alvarez to give it to him.
It’s nice that Crawford finally got his first credible after fifteen years as a pro with his victory over the weight-drained, car crash-depleted Errol Spence at 147, but is that enough to earn a title shot against a world champion that competes three divisions above?
If Canelo were to agree to this circus-level fight, it could create an avalanche of fighters from the lower weight classes, begging him for a fight and then chasing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury for a payday without ever having fought in that weight class.
Crawford’s options if no Canelo fight
Jermell Charlo
Tim Tszyu
Brian Mendoza
Jesus Ramos
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
“Canelo is used to fighting at a particular level, and I don’t think Terence can hurt Canelo, but Canelo can hurt Terence,” said Arum.
Of course, there’s only one winner, and that’s Canelo, but he would lose with the fans because they would royally dump on him for fighting a welterweight instead of defending against Morrell, Benavidez, Andrade & Dmitry Bivol first.
If Canelo wants to take a circus fight against a small guy who hasn’t earned the shot, he needs to do it after fighting the top contenders at 168, who are beating down his door.
