Terence Crawford is laser-focused on his fight against Israil Madrimov on August 3rd at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, which is His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s first event in the US as part of the ongoing Riyadh Season. So much so that, despite his hunger to end his career on a high note by facing the unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, Bud remains unbothered by the chatter of his potential matchup with Canelo.

Having clinched world titles in three weight classes, and attaining undisputed status in two of them to become the first man to do so, ‘Bud’ Crawford will look to gain the WBA super welterweight and WBO interim super welterweight titles against Madrimov. No doubt, he is focused! While appearing in Logan Paul’s popular podcast ‘Impaulsive’, the 36-year-old explained his mindset ahead of the big fight on Saturday.

Fights aren’t stepping stones for Terence Crawford

During the podcast, the topic of discussion smoothly veered towards Crawford potentially facing Canelo Alvarez down the line, which is something the whole world is interested in at the moment. ‘Bud’ revealed the advice from his camp has always been constructive rather than what a yes man would say. This led Mike Majlak to probe Crawford about whether his August 3rd fight at super welterweight is a stepping stone to facing Canelo.

While it has been apparent that Crawford can’t wait to get his hands on the Mexican superstar, his response to Majlak’s question reflected otherwise. “No! No! Never! I don’t look at fights as stepping stones because it’s about now,” Crawford quickly responded with a sense of ease in his voice. His calm and assured mindset was the result of his outlook on life.

“I might not wake up tomorrow,” Crawford explained, so he doesn’t like thinking about stuff far in the future. Announcing, as if the world needed to know, Crawford suggested his sole focus is on Madrimov, adding, “I am not worried about Canelo, I am not thinking about Canelo.” But here’s the kicker, folks! He might not be thinking about Canelo, however, Crawford has spoken about him.

Crawford explains why Canelo Alvarez is next, and not Jaron Ennis

With the level of things Crawford has achieved in the sport this far, he doesn’t need to play games. During his interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Crawford shot straight and didn’t make excuses for his choices. See, the thing is ‘Bud’ wants Canelo, but the masses resonate with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. 

So, speaking to Helwani, Crawford explained that at this point in his career, he wants fights that make the most sense, “and that’s not Boots”. He added, “Canelo is going to bring way more to my legacy; way more to my bank account.” It’s hard to not resonate with that answer, given the things the future Hall of Famer has already achieved. Yes, he would collect a pretty paycheck against Ennis, but it pales in comparison to what a Canelo fight could do for him and his legacy.

Having said that, it’s unclear whether Canelo Alvarez would even agree to fight Terence Crawford in the future. But by Crawford’s statement, it’s clear he is focused on Madrimov for now. Who would you like to see Crawford fight first?