Andre Ward is still pushing for unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez to fight 154-pounder Terence Crawford because he thinks the Nebraska native can “outbox” the Mexican star. Ward doesn’t understand why Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) won’t give the 37-year-old Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) a chance.
Should Canelo fight Crawford?
Canelo has already said it’s not a fight he’s interested in because it’s a no-win type of fight where he gets criticized no matter what happens. The only one coming out of the fight in a great position is Crawford, who won’t be criticized if he loses because Canelo is fighting two weight classes above him and is much heavier.
Ward says nothing about Crawford not showing initiative to move up to 168 and beat the top fighters to earn a title shot against Canelo.
Why doesn’t Crawford deserve the fight?
People have to earn things through hard work, and Ward isn’t pushing Crawford to move up to 168 and earn the fight against Canelo by beating these contenders:
– Christian Mbilli
– Diego Pacheco
– Osleys Iglesias
– Jaime Munguia
– Caleb Plant
If Crawford was hungry, he could fight all five of those guys in the next year and knock on Canelo’s door for a world title in early 2026. Why doesn’t Crawford do that? Is he afraid of losing to one or all of those fighters and getting out of the Canelo sweepstakes?
Crawford is coming off a close 12-round unanimous decision in his debut at 154 against 11-fight starter Israil Madrimov on August 3. He barely won that fight in his first fight at junior middleweight, and he hasn’t fought any of the other killers at 154, like Bakhram Murtazaliev and Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Crawford has never been at 160, and working his way up to fighting Canelo would be a logical step. Why isn’t Crawford fighting IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly? Does Crawford feel he doesn’t have to work for things in life? Other fighters are working, so why isn’t he?
“The game is different. There’s a lot of strategy going on with guys not taking fights and why they’re not taking fights,” Andre Ward told Stephen A. Jackson’s. YouTube channel. “I like the Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez fight.
The game is different. And Crawford is part of that. Why doesn’t he take risky fights against Murataliev and Vergil Jr. at 154? Why isn’t Crawford fighting Janibek at 160 or David Benavidez? There are fighters who don’t take fights, and Crawford is one of them. Ward just doesn’t call him out for ducking guys.
“A lot of people say I’m crazy to say that Terence Crawford can win that fight. My thing is, if you don’t think Terence Crawford can outbox Canelo Alvarez, maybe you should get your eyes checked,” Ward said.
The 37-year-old Crawford barely beat Madrimov in his debut at 154, and it’s clear from that fight that he’s not going to cut the mustard if he jumps two weight classes to fight Canelo at 168.
Crawford could make things easier for Canelo if he moves up to 168 and beats Iglesias, Pacheco, Mbilli, Plant and Munguia. If he can beat those guys or David Morrell, he’ll probably get a title shot against Canelo.
Canelo’s history of fighting smaller opponents
“There’s a reason why Canelo doesn’t jump in that fight because he fought Amir Khan, who was two weight classes below him (correction: one weight class). So, the weight thing is not that big,” Ward said.
Khan only went up one weight class, not two, when Canelo fought him in 2016. Canelo knew Khan would come to fight. With Crawford, he already knows he’s going to use the Mayweather blueprint by boxing and moving all night long.
His trainer, Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, has already said he is going to have Crawford use the Mayweather game plan. In hindsight, BoMac should have kept his mouth shut because he gave Canelo even more reason not to fight him.
“This is a fight (Canelo vs. Crawford) that I really want to see. This is a dangerous fight for both fighters for different reasons. It’s a fight I’d like to see, and it’s an all-time great fight that people (want to see),” Ward said.
“The assumption is from the public that he (Canelo) is 30 pounds heavier. It will be a great classic fight,” said Ward.
