David Benavidez believes that Terence Crawford is pushing the bounds by transferring up three weight lessons to struggle Canelo Alvarez for his 4 tremendous middleweight titles this Saturday, September 13.
Risks of Weight Class Leaps
The WBC mild heavyweight champion Benavidez says he is aware of Crawford has glorious abilities, however feels that the bounce up three divisions is perhaps an excessive amount of.
Benavidez says it will be the identical factor if he selected to maneuver as much as heavyweight to tackle Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. He believes he may win, but when they hit him, it might be dangerous for him.
“As a result of Crawford is developing three weight lessons. I’m not saying he can’t damage him, however three weight lessons is totally different,” mentioned David Benavidez to Ring Journal about why he believes Canelo Alvarez will defeat Terence Crawford on Saturday.
It will have made extra sense for Crawford to cease at 160 and take a few fights towards high fighters in that weight class first. If he did properly in that division, then go as much as 168 to take a few fights earlier than preventing Canelo.
That may be inconceivable, although. Crawford fights simply yearly. So, it might take him 4 years to get these 4 fights in. By then, Canelo may have seemingly retired, and he’d be too outdated anyway to do a lot towards anybody.
“You by no means need to depend Terence Crawford out, however there are weight lessons for a purpose,” mentioned Benavidez.
‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez makes a superb level. The load lessons are in place to guard fighters, to not stop them from incomes cash preventing extra fashionable fighters. Going up three divisions might be asking for bother.
Cash Over Legacy?
Crawford goes properly above the division he loved his greatest success at, welterweight, and it’s exhausting to purchase into his rationale for transferring up three weight lessons.
Terence says he’s going for legacy functions. I consider Crawford’s whole focus is on the cash that he’s getting, as a result of he by no means confirmed any ambition to maneuver as much as 168 when Benavidez and David Morrell held titles. Crawford didn’t begin displaying curiosity in transferring up till Canelo was the one holding the belts.
“They acquired me because the underdog. It don’t matter to me. We acquired to go on the market and carry out,” mentioned Crawford to Ring Journal when requested if it bothers him that he’s the underdog towards Canelo. “I’m going to go on the market and win regardless.”
It’s true that Crawford and Canelo nonetheless have to struggle to find out who the higher man is on Saturday. However it ought to nonetheless concern Crawford behind his thoughts that the oddsmakers doubt his probabilities of profitable, seemingly viewing his final efficiency towards Israil Madrimov and utilizing that as a gauge of their picks.
The Level of Diminishing Returns
Crawford has achieved remarkably properly transferring up three divisions since beginning his profession at light-weight in 2007. However there’s a level of diminishing returns the place even a terrific like Crawford will discover that he’s hit a degree the place it’s an excessive amount of weight. He wasn’t lower out to compete in such and such a division. 168 is perhaps that time.
“It’s positively one thing that drives me,” mentioned Crawford about being the underdog. “In any respect,” mentioned Terence when informed that he doesn’t need folks saying Canelo was over-the-hill after he beats him. “Come Saturday, we’re going to have fireworks.”
The way in which Canelo has carried out in his final three fights, it’s inconceivable to not conclude that he’s over the hill. He hasn’t misplaced these three fights, however he wasn’t going through high-level fighters. His final three fights had been towards William Scull, Edgar Berlanga, and Jaime Munguia. If Canelo had fought these tremendous middleweights, there’s a superb probability he’d have misplaced:
Diego Pacheco
Osleys Iglesias
Christian Mbilli
Hamzah Sheeraz
Why Crawford’s Win Could Be Discredited
If Crawford does win on Saturday, there’ll nonetheless be many followers who will discredit his victory, saying that Canelo is a light pressure from 20 years as a professional. They’d be right. He’s not the fighter that he as soon as was 4 years in the past when he beat Caleb Plant to develop into undisputed 168-lb champion the primary time on November 6, 2021.
Boxing Information 24 » “There Are Weight Lessons for a Purpose”: Benavidez Explains His Concern for Crawford’s Choice to Combat Canelo at 168
Final Up to date on 09/10/2025
