Oleksandr Usyk predicts that Terence Crawford will successfully move up three weight classes to take on undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) turns 37 in September. He will be coming off a year-plus hiatus when he makes his debut at 154 against WBA junior middleweight champion Israel Madrimov, who is believed to be the toughest boxer in the division.
Assuming Crawford gets past Madrimov without being lumped in like a block of Swiss cheese, he’ll still need to move up two divisions to move from 154 to 168 without losing much of his speed to challenge Canelo (61-2-2, 39). KO).
Then there’s the fitness issue that Crawford will need to overcome. Putting on weight will not only cause a potential deceleration but also cause a stroke.
Praise for Usyk
Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk admits he’s friends with Crawford, who should factor into the equation by backing him to beat Canelo.
Is Usyk choosing Crawford over Canelo because of his friendship and loyalty to his buddy or does he really believe he can move up three divisions to defeat a bigger and stronger fighter than him?
“Terence is my friend, but he is a crazy person. I say Terence wins. Listen, Terence is a different man. Terence operates in two phases; he’s a very, very smart man,” Usyk said in a heated interview with 3KRPodcast.
How will Crawford adapt to the 168-lb weight class without any experience other than his sparring help? He just moves up blindly, hoping to beat Canelo, with no intention of getting used to the division by fighting a few top contenders first.
Canelo has not said that he will even agree to fight Crawford. In previous interviews, Canelo said that he is not interested in fighting Crawford because he has nothing to gain from this match. So unless he pays a mountain of money, Canelo won’t do it.
Crawford’s Gamble for a Big Payday
It seems like a tough move driven by the ideas of the big pay day Crawford will get. That money will protect Crawford from getting knocked out by Canelo.
Crawford didn’t look good against David Avanesyan or Shawn Porter for a long time in those fights, which took place two to three years ago. He has grown up since then, and is not the fighter he used to be.
You have to figure Madrimov will get something out of Crawford, and if he gets past him, there will be a mandatory year to enjoy his championship belt. By the time Crawford returns, he’ll be close to 38, and he won’t beat Canelo or compete.
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