Shakur Stevenson believes Terence Crawford will be the same fighter at 168 as at 154 and below when he challenges Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super -middleweight gold on September 13.
Stevenson does not think that the two-section jump Crawford (41-0, 31 COs) will not affect at all, and he will dominate Canelo (63-2-2, 39 COs), as he did with other fighters from the Junior Middle Leweight Division to lightweight.
Crawford’s perfect style to overthrow Canelo
‘Bud is the only one who can beat Canelo at 168. Canelo does not do well against Southpaws, and Bud’s style is ideal for utilizing it. Look at how Canelo struggled with John Ryder’s movement – Bud is on another level with it, ”Shakur Stevenson told the Ring Magazine channel.
You have to ignore what Terence did in those weight classes, because none of the fighters were elite level, and they would all be excessive if they compete with a fighter like Canelo. The version of Errol Spence who beat Crawford in 2023 would not last more than two or three rounds against Alvarez. This is probably the best career victory of Terence.
Crawford, 37, was at a different level than the opposition that he fought in the four divisions in which he competed as a pro in his 17-year professional career. Boxing fans are still questioning whether Bud will be the same fighter at 168 as in the lower weight classes. He seems to have reached his limit when he moved up to 154 last year and scraped with a narrow decision against Israil Madrimov.
Crawford may not be the only fighter who can beat Canelo at 168. We have not yet seen Alvarez fight against the young crop of contenders against Super Middleweight. He ignored these fighters:
– Christian Milli
– Diego Pacheco
– Hamzah Sheeraz
– Osleys Iglesias
Bud’s next target: light heavyweight dings
If Crawford can beat Canelo, it means he is able to do more by moving to 175 to adopt Dmitry Biblical for his three light heavyweight titles, WBC champion David Benavidez, or Artur Bererbiev. It would be one way for Crawford to semen his legacy. Those fighters would be a big test for Crawford.
Last updated on 08/10/2025
