Terence Crawford has set his sights on one major fight as he continues to chase greatness in the boxing world. After dominating Errol Spence Jr. to become the undisputed welterweight champion, Crawford is now focused on moving up two weight classes with one target in mind: Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Crawford’s recent win at 154 pounds, where he claimed a world title against Israil Madrimov, was seen as the first step toward this ambitious showdown. However, hopes for a Crawford-Canelo clash have hit a roadblock. Turki Alalshikh, a key figure behind the potential bout, has expressed disinterest in pursuing the fight, citing Canelo’s reluctance to take on formidable challenges.
In a revealing interview, Alalshikh mentioned that while a matchup between Crawford and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would be thrilling, it’s not the fight Crawford is after. He also shared his belief that Crawford is likely to reject an offer to face Vergil Ortiz Jr., opting instead to focus solely on Canelo.
“While a Crawford-Ennis fight would be exciting, I believe Crawford has his heart set on Canelo. We extended an offer to face [Vergil] Ortiz, but I doubt he’ll accept. It seems Crawford’s only interest lies in fighting Canelo. I respect that decision, as I’m in the corner of the fighters,” Alalshikh stated.
Crawford has hinted that if the Canelo fight doesn’t materialize, he might consider retirement, although many expect him to remain at super-welterweight to pursue undisputed status in a third division.
Should Crawford’s pursuit of Canelo fall through, all eyes will be on Alalshikh to see if he reignites the negotiations. Canelo has made it clear he won’t engage in talks until after his upcoming bout with Edgar Berlanga on September 14 but hasn’t ruled out the possibility of facing Crawford if the terms are favorable.