Undisputed welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31) has doubled down on his desire to face the winner of the upcoming undisputed super middleweight world title clash between champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 59-2-2 (39) and challenger Jermell Charlo 35-1-1 (19) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 30.
The 35-year-old switch-hitter is flying high since his ninth-round knockout victory over Errol Spence Jr 28-1 (22) in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 28.
The victory saw him elevated to number one on many reputable pound-for-pound lists.
Since then Crawford has been considering his future options. Texan southpaw Spence, 33, will likely invoke his immediate rematch clause with Crawford for a bout that will likely take place at 154-pounds.
During his latest win Crawford jawed at Spence’s stablemate Charlo, who is the current undisputed champion at junior middleweight, during the fight. A bout between the pair would be a natural.
But with the once beaten Charlo now jumping up two weight classes to 168-pounds to face Mexican superstar Alvarez, Crawford is eying off the winner.
Just a few short months ago the idea would’ve seemed preposterous. Now it seems relatively reasonable.
“My sight is on, you know, the big fights,” Crawford said on The 3 Knockdown Rule podcast. “I believe if Canelo beats Charlo, that’s the next fight to be made. If me and Spence not the next one, I think that’s the next fight to be made [with Canelo]. And after that Spence and I can fight and then I can ride off into the sunset.
“Because I don’t see how big of a fight with Charlo and Crawford will be coming off a loss. I never fought an opponent coming off a loss.
“If you look at all my career, I never fought an opponent coming off a loss because it wouldn’t be meaningful to me or my career to beat someone that just lost. And then that opens the door to the media to say, ‘Oh, he just lost so you just beat damaged goods’ or ‘man, he was just fighting for the money’.
“If Jermell win, then of course me and him can get in the ring and I can move up to ’68 and fight him because he’s gonna lose a title at 154 to Tim Tszyu once the bell rings.
“I think that’s bullshit. I think he should be allowed to move up and fight Canelo and still keep all his belts [at 154] because Canelo moved up and fought guys and was still able to keep his belts. I don’t know what the situation is with that. That’s none of my business. I’m just speaking from the outside.
“I don’t think it’s hard but at the same time, rules is rules and if they do decide to take his belt when he fights Canelo then I would be open to challenging the winner.”
