Canelo Alvarez Open To Facing Terence Crawford Following Berlanga Bout

Alvarez sees Crawford as a possible rival should financial conditions be met

Canelo Alvarez suggests a possible clash with Terence Crawford, Emphasizing financial factors and weight class variations /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Provided the financial arrangements are good and he effectively defends his super middleweight championships against Edgar Berlanga on September 14th, Canelo Alvarez has indicated his readiness to meet Terence Crawford next. Alvarez, with a record of 61-2-2 and 39 knockouts, is not bothered by the WBO's directive for Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to battle WBC/WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora. Alvarez claims that should His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh be able to present an appealing financial package, the struggle with Crawford could still materialize should his needs be satisfied.

Canelo's Viewpoint:

Alvarez is sure he would have a "easy" battle in a Crawford match. He grounds this on Crawford's recent debut at 154 pounds versus Israil Madrimov, where Crawford seemed less strong than in his previous weight divisions of 147 and lower. The Mexican star feels that Crawford's performance in the higher weight class proved he is not as effective and would struggle against the fighters like Fundora, Tim Tszyu, and other top-tier fighters at 154 pounds.

Sampson Lewkowicz, Fundora's promoter, has also voiced doubts on Crawford's readiness to challenge Fundora, implying that Crawford might choose the more profitable path of fighting Alvarez instead. Lewkowicz speculates that Crawford knows the difficulties presented by "The Towering Inferno" Fundora and could choose the financial benefit of an Alvarez fight over running the danger of losing to Fundora.

A Tough Challenge at 168

Given his struggles at 154 pounds, Crawford's possible climb to 168 to battle Alvarez begs serious questions. Crawford, who is almost 37 years old and had limited activity in recent years, might find the weight class change too challenging. Known for his strength and resilience at 168, Alvarez would be a major threat to Crawford, who is considered as too delicate to challenge the top contenders in the super middleweight class, such David Benavidez, David Morrell, and Christian Mbilli.

Alvarez himself noted the value of weight divisions and underlined that combatants are usually matched within their ideal range for a specific purpose. At 168 pounds, a fight between Crawford and Alvarez would probably be a mismatch, mostly favoring the Mexican champion.

Still, a fight with Crawford would be a good stay-busy activity for Alvarez to keep him ready while he awaits more demanding title defenses. Alvarez finds this possible battle interesting because of the money benefit and the chance to increase his fame by firmly defeating his opponent.