Terence Crawford’s Canelo Dream: A Realistic Fight Or A False Oasis?

Terence Crawford believes a fight between him and Canelo Alvarez is possible if he gets through his August 3rd title challenge against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on ESPN+ PPV at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

There’s a lot of uncertainty about whether the 36-year-old Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) will get the opportunity to scoop up that gigantic payday against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) in the first half of 2025.

The Madrimov Hurdle

Crawford has these hurdles that could prevent him from reeling in the Canelo fish in his net.

• Israil Madrimov: This is a dangerous fight for the aging Crawford because he’s fighting in a new weight class, coming off a 13-month layoff, and facing the biggest puncher in the 154-lb division. Crawford has gotten away with fighting only four times since 2020 due to the opposition he’s been facing, which has largely been sub-level guys.
• Canelo’s lack of interest: Canelo has already made it clear in numerous interviews that he has no intention of entertaining a fight against Crawford. Generally, when Canelo says he doesn’t want to fight someone, he means it, and they’re not going to be given a chance to fight him, no matter how much they name-drop, beg, or attempt to pressure him. Canelo is filthy rich, and being lured with more millions doesn’t change his mind unless it’s an enormous pile of gold bullion that he can swim in.
• Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis: Promoter Eddie Hearn, who is close friends with His Excellency, is pushing hard for his fighter, Boots Ennis, to face Crawford next. His Excellency spoke to Hearn on Facetime last night after Boots’ win over David Avanesyan and mentioned that he wants to make that fight happen. If Crawford takes that fight and gets beaten by the young gun, Ennis, he can say goodbye to the Canelo fight. If Canelo ever needed an excuse for why he shouldn’t fight Crawford, he would have one right there.

“I think that’s a realistic fight. I think that fight can happen, and we shall see,” said Terence Crawford to the Daily Mail when asked if he thinks a fight between him and undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez can happen.

The Path to Canelo: A Slim Chance

There’s a slim possibility that Crawford gets the chance to fight Canelo before the end of his career, but it’s not good. Too many things stand in the way of Crawford getting that fight, starting with his clash against Madrimov.

That is not the type of opponent to take when you’re as old as Crawford, who is a year older than 35-year-old David Avanesyan, coming off a 13-month layoff, fighting in a weight class you’ve never competed in. The age, inactivity, weak opposition, and fighting in a new weight class are enough to scupper Crawford’s ship as she sails for the Canelo goldmine.

“I feel as though boxing should dig up certain fights that should be made instead of saying, ‘Oh, this guy, he doesn’t sell” or ”This guy is not ready,” or ”This guy didn’t perform well in his last fight,”” said Crawford in making an argument for himself getting the Canelo fight.

Crawford’s Call for the Best to Fight the Best

“Fighters should fight each other, and the best in the division should fight the best in the division,” said Crawford.

If Crawford truly believes that the best should fight the best in each division, he should have stayed at 147 to face Jaron Ennis rather than moving up to 154 to face Madrimov. Why didn’t Crawford fight Boots before leaving the weight class?

Errol Spence Jr. wasn’t the best when Crawford fought him. Spence had been out of the ring for 17 months, been involved in two car crashes since 2019, gained a lot of weight that needed to be trimmed off, and was just a shell of the fighter he’d once been when Terence fought him.