A 41-0 undefeated record, 13 titles across four weight divisions, the distinction of being the first male fighter to be a two-division undisputed champion, a two-time ESPN’s Fighter Of The Year award winner, and yet Terence Crawford‘s legacy, to a great extent, depends on his upcoming fight with unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. The blockbuster clash between two pound-for-pound fighters might very well define boxing for years to come.
However, despite it being a legacy fight, Crawford’s lead-up to it seems less than optimum. Well, Bud has never ventured past 154 lbs and will jump to 168 lbs, without a rehydration clause in place, to take on the Mexican superstar. Conventional wisdom screams for a tune-up fight, to ease the transition. However, the Omaha native has refused to take any warm-up fight and will dive headfirst into the ring in September now, more than a year since he last stepped into the ring. This is a baffling decision given the stakes involved. And Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis can’t wrap his head around it.
Terence Crawford might be in danger of a long layoff
In the recent sitdown with FightHub TV, Ennis shared his prediction on possibly the “greatest fight of the generation”. After giving his verdict in favor of Canelo Alvarez, the IBF welterweight champion argued that Terence Crawford should have first proven himself in the super middleweight division before fighting Canelo. Other than a decent showing against Israil Madrimov at 154 lbs, Bud is actually unproven above welterweight and that should have been changed.
“I think Crawford should take a warm-up fight. At like 60 or like at least at 60,” he urged the 37-year-old. He sees it as more than just a proving ground; it’s about getting Crawford’s body ready for the bigger foes ahead. “To get his body you know the feeling of somebody a little bit bigger you know and things like that,” he advised.
Ennis understands Crawford’s reasoning behind skipping a tune-up fight, packing on muscle for 168 lbs could be the priority, and an extra fight might throw that off. Still, he’s skeptical of Bud’s game plan. “I know when you go up a weight you got to develop that power. Not develop the power but like put that muscle on and be heavy and things. So he might not want to take a fight cuz he is trying to build up right now but I think he should just to stay sharp and that way he don’t have like a long layoff,” Boots explained.
While Ennis believes that a tune-up fight will do wonders for Terence Crawford, the latter sees no need for it. Furthermore, he even opened up about his biggest advantage over Canelo Alvarez.
The game plan to defeat Canelo Alvarez
In a recent interview, Manouk Akopyan referenced Cinnamon’s hard-fought battles against heavier fighters like Dmitry Bivol and Sergey Kovalev before asking, “How do you think you’re going to stop Canelo Alvarez?
Bud didn’t mince his words with a straightforward answer. “I don’t got to stop him; I just got to beat him. I’m not going in there looking to knock Canelo out,” indicating that he will aim to outbox Canelo, not overpower him. That said, he’s ready to seize a finish if it’s on the table. The 41-0 fighter also believes that his experience in lighter weight classes gives him an edge because of his fast speed. “So if he gets hit with a sharp punch that he don’t see, he’s definitely capable of getting hurt,” Crawford asserted.
It will be interesting to see whether Terence Crawford will be able to maintain his speed with all the extra weight. However, he is confident in his victory. “So I’m not going in there thinking, ‘Oh, I can’t hurt this guy, but I’m not going in there at the same time I’m trying to knock him out.’ I’m trying to, you know, fight my fight, and if the knockout is there, then of course I’m going to take it,” he explained.
Skipping a tune-up fight might seem risky to some, but Terence Crawford’s been in the game long enough to trust his instincts. If he pulls this off, it’ll be a genius move etched in boxing lore. But what if it backfires? It will be some disappointment to deal with. How do you see this playing out? Drop your take below.
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