Terence Crawford has long been anticipated to fight Canelo Alvarez. Reports indicate a fight may soon happen between these two superstars; reports have even surfaced suggesting Crawford may face another opponent as part of his preparations before going up against Canelo for real.
Crawford has shown his willingness to move up to 168 pounds to secure his fight with Canelo since beating Errol Spence Jr. in 2023, after reaching out for this fight after winning over Israil Madrimov to secure fourth-weight class titles but negotiations initially broke down according to Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
Now, it appears that doors have opened for the potential fight, with significant progress being made towards finalizing a deal. Reports from ESPN suggest the fight could be scheduled for later this year in Las Vegas.
An intriguing tweet from Pound4Pound on X hinted that Crawford might face Sergiy Derevyanchenko at 168 pounds as a tune-up for the Canelo fight. This would be an essential step for Crawford, considering his last fight was at 154 pounds and he appeared not as dominant as in lower weight classes.
There’s speculation that Canelo might enter a three-fight deal with the Saudis, possibly facing IBF mandatory William Scull, who holds the IBF super middleweight title. Meanwhile, boxing enthusiast and former four-division titleholder Mikey Garcia shared his skepticism about Crawford’s chances against Canelo due to the size difference, despite acknowledging Crawford’s superior skills.
Garcia suggested both fighters should target opposing divisions – Alvarez facing 175 contenders while Crawford taking on fights at 154 weight class.
As talks and preparations continue between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford continue, boxing fans eagerly anticipate a possible matchup between these two great fighters; though not necessarily as their next fight. Crawford may choose a tune-up fight at 168 pounds which may provide invaluable experience fighting at higher weight classes.