David Benavidez says he would like to fight Terence Crawford at 168 to avenge his brother Jose Benavidez Jr.’s loss six years ago. Benavidez doubts Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) would make it to 168 to fight him. In October 2018, Crawford Jose Jr. knocked out in the 12th round of a competitive fight in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.
Crawford wants to move up in weight to super middleweight, but only challenges unified 168-lb champion Canelo Alvarez for his three titles and the big payday that comes with them.
Crawford would only go up for the sack to get a huge payday and then retire afterwards. It wouldn’t matter if Crawford lost because the money would cushion the blow, and he has an excuse to tell his fans. He’ll blame it if he moves up two divisions, “Dare to be big.”
“Yes, I already wanted to get it. I would love to get it, but I don’t think he would have made it to 168,” David Benavidez said. Organically about wanting to avenge his brother Jose Benavidez Jr’s loss to Terence Crawford. “I’m not even at 168 anymore, but I would love to fight or even spar with Crawford.”
It would be a robbery on Crawford’s side because he has no interest in winning the fight against Canelo by moving up to 168 to fight these top guys:
- David Benavidez
- David Morrell
- Christian Mbilli
- Orsley’s Inglesias
The fans would be ripped off by watching a non-competitive fight, similar to when Jermell Charlo moved up two divisions from 154 to challenge Canelo for his super middleweight titles. Jermell, who is bigger and stronger than Crawford, was too weak for Canelo, and it looked like he wasn’t even trying to win.
If Canelo Alvarez wanted to shut down Crawford for good, he would have told him to earn the fight against him by facing David Benavidez first. Of course, Crawford would never agree to that because he knows the outcome. That would end all outcry by Crawford because, as desperate as he is, he’s not crazy enough to go up to 168 and fight Benavidez.
We saw Crawford’s limits as a fighter last August when he squeaked by WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov via a close 12-round unanimous decision. That fight showed that Crawford was not the same fighter at 154 as he was in the other three weight classes he fought in.
Crawford should move up and earn the fight against Canelo by fighting the top fighters at 168 to earn it rather than giving it to him based on his career accomplishments, which aren’t that great when you put them under a microscope around the lesser fighters he beat.
