Callum Smith questions whether Terence Crawford can handle the size of Canelo Alvarez when he moves up two divisions to fight super middleweight in September.
If Terence showed some courage by moving up to fight two or three of the predatory sharks in the 168-lb division, fans would know if he’s up to it. Since Crawford doesn’t want to do that, all you can think is that he’s just there for the payday, and fans will go crazy after that and feel like they got ripped off out of their money.
Crawford is eager for that fight against the Mexican superstar, but he hasn’t done anything to show if he can handle the weight jump.
Crawford too small?
Light heavyweight Smith, who shared the ring with Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) when he competed at 168, points out that Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) started his bantamweight career at 135. , moving up two weight classes from 154 to fight Canelo at 168 is a “tough ask” size-wise.
Smith isn’t completely counting out the 37-year-old Crawford, noting that Canelo is starting to show signs of age, but he still feels it’s going to be tough for the Nebraska native.
Crawford has yet to fight at super middleweight, struggled to move up to 154 against Israil Madrimov, and will be coming off a year-long layoff from the ring if the fight with Canelo takes place in September. If so, he will be out of the ring for 13 months.
“It’s a great fight, they’re both pound-for-pound stars and exceptional. It will be interesting to see how the weight affects Crawford (to 168),” said Callum Smith. Pro Boxing Fanstalking about the possible Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford in September.
“Like we saw with (former undisputed 154-lb champion Jermell) Charlo. He’s a very good fighter, but he couldn’t really handle him (Canelo). It’s good to put on weight, but there’s natural size, and Crawford comes from the lower weights.
“He is a four-weight world champion. So, going up two more to go up against the likes of Canelo is going to be a tough ask, but as we saw with (undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur) Beterbiev (in his recent close fight against Dmitri Bivol), Canelo doesn’t get any younger.
Spence Wins a Fluke
Crawford was at his best at 135 and 140 when he had the size advantage against less-than-stellar opposition in those weight classes when he fought in them. At 147, Bud was slower and easier to hit, and it took a car accident, inactive, injury-plagued and weight-drained Errol Spence to make Crawford look good.
Before that, he looked unimpressive in fights against David Avanesyan, Jose Benavidez Jr., and Jeff Horn at welterweight. He looked like an average fighter, better than those low quality guys, but not like a super talent.
It is interesting how much attention was paid to Terence’s victory over Spence. Fans suddenly thought he was an entertaining knockout artist and that he fought like that throughout his career.
That’s not how Crawford looked or fought during his career. If fans had watched his entire career, as I had, they would have seen that he was a Shakur-like puncher and counterpuncher, and his knockouts came against older fighters.
Crawford’s recent knockouts
Errol Spence: 34
David Avanesyan: 35
Shawn Porter: 34
Kell Brook: 34
Amir Khan: 34
“He’s had a tough career and had injuries and things. As a boxing fan, I’m happy to see these types of fights happen. Now I sit down as a fan and watch it. I’m looking forward to it,” said Smith about the Canelo vs. Crawford fight.
Canelo is slowing down at 34 and is not the fighter he was four years ago in 2021 when he captured the undisputed super middleweight championship against Calen Plant. However, he is much bigger and stronger and is a natural 168 pounds.
He is also four years younger than Crawford, who turns 38 in September and is coming off a lackluster performance against Israil Madrimov in his debut at 154 on August 3, 2024.
