Roy Jones Jr. says if Terence Crawford doesn’t fight a rematch with Canelo Alvarez next, he’d like to see him move down to 160 to win a world title and then retire.
Off is not the direction of legends
Moving down to middleweight would give the 38-year-old Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) the chance to become a six-division world champion. It would be a move to cement his legacy, but it wouldn’t necessarily improve it that much.
The three champions at 160 are considered weak and flawed. What was once a great division in the days of Gennadiy Golovkin and an excellent Canelo is now seen as one of the poorest in boxing.
So, if Crawford does move down to 160 to capture a title, it won’t give him the same legacy boost as if he stays at 168 or moves up to 175 to challenge himself against David Benavidez or Dmitry Bivol.
The weak thrones of middleweight
- Janibek Alimkhanuly – IBF and WBO
- Carlos Adames – WBC
- Erislandy Lara – WBA
The Mount Rushmore Standard
If Crawford really wanted to place himself under the Mount Rushmore of boxing to follow in the footsteps of ‘The Big Four’ all-time greats, such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis, he would move up to 175 to face Benavidez or Bivol. These are the types of moves the aforementioned greats would have made if they were fighting.
The problem is that Crawford hasn’t shown the same mindset as the top fighters on the Mount Rushmore of boxing. He doesn’t have the same ambition, willingness to walk through fire, or even the work ethic to stay active to have a seat among the all-time greats. Crawford only fights once a year. Sugar Ray Robinson fought 201 times as a pro. Armstrong had 183 fights.
“I think he might want to go for a middleweight title because he skipped it. He went from junior middleweight to super middleweight. So, he might go for a middleweight title to close the gap,” Roy Jones Jr. said. Boxing News about what Terence Crawford should do next. “I think he does and that’s it.”
Will Crawford step up—or back down?
It wouldn’t do much for Crawford’s legacy to move down to middleweight, as the boxing public doesn’t think highly of champions Janibek, Adames and Lara. Neither is discussed much by casual or die-hard boxing fans. They are invisible. For what would matter Crawford needs a mind transplantthink like Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong, and move up to 175 to face these top predators:
- Dmitry Bivol
- David Benavidez
- Artur Beterbiev
- David Morrell
If there was a way to transfer the thoughts of Sugar Ray, Armstrong or Ali into Crawford’s head to give him the courage to face the aforementioned talents, only then could he become one of the all-time greats on the Mount Rushmore of boxing.
“I think they’re trying to have a rematch,” did Roy Jr. said when asked where Canelo Alvarez goes from here after his loss to Crawford. “I don’t think so, no,” says Jones Jr. on whether Canelo would win a rematch with Crawford.
It’s clear to fans that Crawford is holding on to his undisputed 168-lb title in hopes that Canelo will ask for a rematch so he can get another big payday in a second fight with the Mexican star. Crawford reportedly made $50 million for his fight with Canelo on September 13, 2025.
Bud’s trainer, Bernie Davis, has already said his asking price for the rematch with Canelo is $100 million. Crawford will use his narrow 12-round unanimous decision victory over Alvarez as leverage to try to get a better deal if there are rematch negotiations.
A second fight would do nothing to enhance Crawford’s legacy, as the 35-year-old Canelo is considered washed up by knowledgeable fans. If Crawford is going to defend his undisputed super middleweight championship, a more meaningful fight will be against these younger, stronger and bigger fighters at 168:
- Two Christians
- Lester Martinez – *assisted Crawford with sparring for Canelo
- Osley Iglesias
Last updated on 28/10/2025
