“Can’t Believe Bud Moved Up”: Fans in Frenzy After Resurfaced Image of Terence Crawford vs. Oleksandr Usyk Chess Match Makes Rounds Online

In July 2018, Terence Crawford posted a picture of himself on Instagram, writing, “Life is a game of chess.” Who knew that would be a foreshadowing of what was to come just five months later?

Boxing is as brutal a sport as it looks. But every once in a while, these friendships form that take almost everyone by surprise. And in one such welcome twist, boxing legends Oleksandr Usyk and Crawford, who have never faced off in the ring, found themselves on opposite sides of a chessboard. Even though this happened six years ago, a recent reminder about this unexpected face-off between two pound-for-pound greats has sent fans into a frenzy!

When you think about it, chess and boxing are quite similar. Yes, there are glaring differences from the outside: chess rarely (if at all) leads to any bloodshed; it’s a non-contact sport. But let’s just take a moment to describe Crawford and Usyk. Aren’t they both masters in their respective weight classes, known for their strategic brilliance, tactics, and well-developed IQ? And don’t those attributes sound a whole lot like a chess player’s?

Terence Crawford is a welterweight who holds both the WBA and WBO titles. Oleksandr Usyk, on the other hand, is the reigning undisputed world heavyweight champion. Seeing as they’re in different weight classes, a boxing match between them sounds unlikely, which is why their fans were ecstatic to see the two brilliant boxers fight it out, even if it were on a chessboard. That said, Crawford and Usyk have immense respect for each other; the resurfaced clip only confirms it.

Crawford, for instance, was among the first to congratulate Usyk after his recent victory against Tyson Fury last month. “Man yall better put some respect on @usykaa man. He definitely a candidate for #1 P4P fighter in the world. I’m no hater. He beat the man that beat the man in a bigger division, giving what he’s already done. Salute, brother!” Crawford wrote after Usyk’s split decision victory over Fury. The same is the case for how Usyk sees ‘Bud’ Crawford.

When asked who would win in a fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, the new undisputed heavyweight champion contented that defeating ‘Bud’ would be a very difficult proposition for Canelo. “Terence is my friend, but he’s a crazy man. I say Terence wins,” said Usyk in a conversation on the 3 Knockdown Rule podcast. “Listen, Terence is a different man. Terence works in two stances; he’s a very, very, very smart man.” However, Saudi Arabia is already in talks to orchestrate a fight between ‘Bud’ and Canelo Alvarez later this year or early next year.

Talking about their chess game, the Ukrainian and the Omaha native seemed deeply immersed in it as the song ‘Eye of the Tiger,’ popularized by Rocky III, played in the background in the clip from 2018. And when a fan posted this on Reddit, the conversation about the two boxers and their chess match began anew. 

Fans speculate who won the chess contest: Terence Crawford or Oleksandr Usyk?

Usyk and Crawford are both undefeated in their professional boxing careers. But fans are trying to make a case of who might have won the chess game between them. Chess is a really popular game in the East European countries. One fan used that knowledge and said that Usyk, being a European, might have won that match: “I’d guess Usyk won, east European mate they take that game very seriously over there 😂😂 they grow up playing chess, think it’s the national game in Russia.”

Note: Oleksandr Usyk is Ukrainian, not Russian. That said, he shocked the world when he defeated Tyson Fury in their fight for the undisputed heavyweight title in May. Fury was the betting favorite, given his bigger size and his experience in the heavyweight division. However, Usyk accomplished the seemingly impossible. Another fan connected Usyk’s winning streak to their chess game and wrote, “Usyk won because he doesn’t lose.”

It would be interesting to see Crawford and Usyk squaring off inside the ring. However, it won’t be possible due to the differences in the weight classes they fight in. But who knows? Just as Jon Jones moved up from the light heavyweight category to the heavyweight class in the UFC, maybe Crawford could do the same. Sarcastically commenting on the match between Usyk and Crawford, one comment humorously remarked, “Can’t believe Bud moved up in weight to challenge Usyk.”

Chess enthusiasts also chimed in with their strategic analysis. One fan supported Crawford’s position based on the board’s layout in the photo. They wrote, “Not sure but my strategy would be more on Bud’s side .. he have opened up everything yet. Looks like he checked him with the bishop. Somebody play me. I f**k with chess.”

An observer drew parallels between Usyk’s boxing style and his chess game, claiming that the Ukrainian is positioning Crawford for a knockout in the later rounds on the board. The comment read, “Based on the state of the board, Usyk was setting Bud up for a later rounds KO. Bud seemed overly aggressive, employing a semi-basic and traditional offense.”

While we may never know who won that chess game, it’s clear that the match was as intriguing and challenging as any bout in the ring. The clip has not only provided a glimpse into the off-ring lives of these boxing legends but also fueled fans’ imaginations and conversations. Who do you think won the game? Share your thoughts in the comments below.