Trainer Robert Garcia says that Canelo Alvarez will fight Terence Crawford in May 2025. However, he does not see Crawford winning because he is old, and Canelo is naturally stronger than him.
He also packs a good punch and has been hit by harder punchers than Crawford, who looked weak in his debut at 154 against Israil Madrimov on August 3.
Crawford’s Age and Decline
Robert says Crawford is not looking forward to a fight against interim WBC 154 lb champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. He just feels that the 37-year-old Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is getting old and wants to get as much money as possible first. he retires soon.
Garcia says Crawford could make three times more money fighting Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) than he would against Vergil Jr. If Turki Alalshikh is willing to pay Canelo a huge amount of money to fight the older, thinner and weaker Crawford. , the fight can happen.
Since Terence would make his debut at 168, moving two weight classes, it would be impossible to see a scenario where he could win. It would be a business level fight.
A celebrity match
When you have an old fighter like Crawford, who didn’t look good in his debut at 154, go up two more weight classes to 168, it’s not a serious fight. It’s a celebrity match.
To be serious, Crawford should get to 168 and prove himself against the main contenders. If he succeeds in three or four tough fights, then he could face Canelo.
Terence’s road to legitimacy
Put Crawford with these three to allow him to prove that he is worthy of fighting King Canelo:
- David Benavidez
- David Morrell
- Osley Iglesias
He is not interested in proving himself with even a fight at 168; that just shows you what’s next. It is the money and NOT the inheritance. It’s a joke. That has nothing to do with what Crawford’s goal is.
If this were the real world, Crawford would have to move to 168 and gain the prerequisite experience to prove that he is suitable for the position and deserves it.
Terence doesn’t need to do it here, and the ones who will lose are the fans, because he will be removed by Canelo or make it very, very boring like Jermell Charlo did when he moved from 154 in 2023 to challenge Canelo. Jermell is bigger, faster and stronger than Crawford.
He couldn’t do anything with Canelo and was forced to run to save his skin. The fight was not watched, but Charlo had his big payday, and he hasn’t been seen in the ring since. It was a cash out for him, and the fans got a poor product for the money they paid to see the fight on PPV.
Financial motivations
“We took the fight right away. It’s not an easy fight. Crawford is a great fighter, pound for pound No. 1, No. 2 on No. 3,” said Robert Garcia to Fighthype when asked about his interest in a fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Terence Crawford.
“He’s already 37 years old, looking for the biggest payday. I think he’ll see a fight against Canelo, where he’ll triple the money he could make against Vergil,” Robert said about Crawford. “So, he’s just playing smart. I don’t blame him. He’s already 37 years old and he sees the best battles for him when it comes to finances.
“What I’ve heard is that (Canelo-Crawford) can happen from May. I think Crawford is one of the best fighters, but he’s getting older. We won’t know until he fights again. There is that chance. It happens in boxing,” said Garcia about the age of fighters overnight, especially when they are close to their 30s, like Crawford.
Terence is old and close to 38. He looked horrible in his last fight against Madrimov at 154, and probably will be destroyed in a rematch or if he took the type of division, the IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Muratazaliev. That guy is fighting at a higher level than Canelo right now and has more power. What he would do to Crawford with his left hooks would not be pretty.
“I pick Canelo. He’s bigger, stronger (and younger than Crawford). Canelo can take a really good punch. I see Crawford putting up a good fight. Cnaleo is the physically bigger, stronger guy,” Garcia said.
