Many were surprised when Terence Crawford, fresh off becoming undisputed at welterweight, called out his counterpart at super-middleweight, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
‘Bud’ Crawford’s victory over Errol Spence to secure all four belts was so impressive that not many would question what he could do next in the sport, although a three-weight jump to face superstar Canelo did seem farfetched even for him.
It did get people talking, and that includes another former welterweight champion in Manny Pacquiao.
Whilst stopping short of making a prediction – saying the result “depends on both fighters” – Pacquiao did send a warning Crawford’s way via Fight Hub TV about the jump in weight.
There’s no better man in the sport to seek advice from on that particular subject. The Filipino sensation is the only eight-division world champion in the history of the sport, winning belts from 112 pounds all the way up to 154.
For that reason, and many others, Pacquiao goes down in the history books as one of the greatest to ever do it, and Crawford is seeking to build a legacy of his own by pushing the limits.
He makes the first step towards Canelo by moving up to 154 on August 3 when he will challenge champion Israil Madrimov. A win at super-welterweight – his fourth division – will make the Canelo fight more likely. Pair that with Saudi Arabis’s Turki Alalshikh’s goal to make it happen and it becomes a very real prospect. Canelo recently said that he would fight anyone if the money was right when asked about facing the American – a reverse of his previous stance of disinterest.
As for Pacquiao, he is again considering a return of his own, perhaps to fight for one of the belts Crawford will vacate.
