Robert Garcia on Crawford's Next Fight: It’s Canelo or Retirement
WBA super-welterweight champion Terence Crawford is hailed as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of his generation, finally receiving the recognition his skills deserve. However, despite reaching the peak of superstardom in boxing, there’s a chance we may not see ‘Bud’ step into the ring again.
Crawford made history by becoming the first multi-divisional undisputed champion of the four-belt era, achieving this feat with a knockout of long-time rival Errol Spence Jr. in a career-defining clash for all four welterweight titles last year.
Since then, Crawford has been vocal about his desire for further success, repeatedly calling out undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, who fights three weight classes higher. Unfortunately for Crawford, those calls have gone unanswered.
Instead, the Omaha sensation moved up to super-welterweight and secured a narrow unanimous decision win against then WBA title-holder Israil Madrimov, marking his closest fight to date and earning him the status of a four-division world champion.
Now, Crawford continues to demand a shot at Alvarez in hopes of becoming a three-weight undisputed champion. However, there is understandable disinterest from Alvarez, as a matchup with Crawford presents a ‘lose/lose’ scenario for the Mexican superstar.
Initially, Saudi investor Turki Al-Alshikh showed interest in making the fight happen, but Crawford’s struggles against Madrimov diminished the potential value of such a showdown. Nevertheless, Al-Alshikh remains optimistic, proposing a bout with the highly-rated super-welterweight knockout artist, Vergil Ortiz Jr.
However, Ortiz’s trainer, Robert Garcia, expressed doubts about Crawford accepting that fight. After speaking with Crawford, Garcia shared, “I have a feeling he wants that big fight against Canelo, and if he doesn’t get it, he may never fight again. He doesn’t need to prove anything at this stage of his career.”
Echoing this sentiment, Al-Alshikh stated, “I don’t think Crawford will fight anyone except Canelo. We will make an offer for Ortiz, but I’m not sure if he’ll take it. We have an agreement to set up a big fight with Ortiz if Crawford doesn’t accept.”
If a lucrative proposal from Canelo never materializes, Crawford still has the opportunity to become a three-weight undisputed champion in his own weight class by challenging lanky unified title-holder Sebastian Fundora (WBC & WBO) and Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF). However, the question remains: will he fight, or will he wait for Canelo?
