Terence Crawford is grappling with choosing his next opponent and deciding if staying at welterweight is his ideal choice. As most predict that he will remain in the weight class to defend all the titles in it, he has expressed his desire to fight against an infamous fighter from a closer weight division. After his historic victory against Errol Spence Jr. on the 29th of July, where the ultimate unification of all titles took place, the fighter has a plethora of options ahead of him.
However, having an array of options at his disposal does not mean he makes rapid decisions. A clear-cut understanding of the leaderboard against the thought of not losing his belt is the formula he needs to adopt. Exactly doing so, ‘Bud’ Crawford found his ideal opponent in Canelo Alvarez. The latter braces himself to defend his title against undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo. The younger Charlo brother is impressively moving up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez.
Recently, Bud expressed his willingness to fight Canelo again only if the fighter came down to 158. A proposition that has a lot to weigh for his opponent.
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A 158-Terence Crawford fight? Pass, says Alvarez
The middleweight champion, Saul Alvarez, has broken his silence on the much-anticipated bout against Terence Crawford. Dismissing his plans to go down in weight, the boxer said that he does not plan to venture into the lower weights anytime soon. He further took shots at Bud, saying that at 168 pounds, the fighter would still be too small to stand up against him. He also mentioned that if he does fight Bud and wins, he will never be acknowledged for the victory. Folks would mostly say that the fight was in his favor because Bud was too small for him.
But a few fans have taken the polar route and gone on to claim Canelo was scared to step into the ring against Bud. Mike took shots at the fighter, saying that he was being his usual self: a scared Canelo.
Sounds like Canelo is scared per usual
— Mike (@MikeAdxx) August 15, 2023
IKD agreed with Canelo. The user shed light on how detrimental it is for fighters to go down in weight and the effects it has on their health.
Yeah it would borderline kill Canelo to go down to that weight at this stage
— IKD (@ESPNneedsIKD) August 15, 2023
fity.eth took an idealistic approach for this matchup. The user said that it would be better if fighters fought opponents in a fair way by leveraging talent instead of changing their weight classes on such whims.
Canelo's got a point. Can't win when it comes to size matchups. Let's focus on fair fights that truly test skill.
— fity.eth (@Fityeth) August 15, 2023
Orlando Sanchez does not seem to have that great of an opinion about Canelo. The user suggested that the fighter should go for the fighters left behind by Bud rather than go for Bud himself.
Canelo is better off going for Crawford's leftovers than Crawford himself. Imagine Crawford goes for Charlo for 3x undisputed and comes up for Canelo for 4x.
— Orlando Sanchez (@TODD50184) August 15, 2023
AutismOnTheTop, however, believes that weight class differences are reasons that should not hinder boxing bouts from happening. It is rather a challenge that the fighters need to undertake to sustain and shine in the sport.
Canelo's success is undeniable, but dismissing potential fights based on size seems counterproductive. Embracing challenges across weight divisions could elevate his legacy even further. Terence Crawford deserves a fair shot without weight constraints.
— AutismOnTheKop (@NetMix982) August 15, 2023
As we inch closer to the Canelo vs. Charlo fight, we do know one thing for certain: One of the two fighters will indeed fight against Crawford. And it is seemingly Jermell Charlo. In one of his social media announcements, the fighter boldly said that he would be back at welterweight to fight against Terence Crawford.
The latter had also expressed his interest in this bout right after his victory against Spence. However, this entire conversation has sparked a discourse in the boxing realm. Is it possible for fighters to shift their weight classes on such whims? Is it okay to do so while taking huge risks to their health and stamina?
What are your thoughts on such rapid shifts in weight undertaken by fighters? Let us know in the comments section below.
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