Terence Crawford has his sights set on Canelo Alvarez for his next fight. The four-division world champion from Omaha believes it's the only bout that can add to his already impressive legacy. If it doesn't happen, Crawford's coach hints retirement might be on the table.
Crawford's recent achievements have been nothing short of remarkable. He vacated his undisputed welterweight status after beating Errol Spence Jr, moved up to 154 pounds, and defeated Israil Madrimov to become a champion in yet another weight class.
Now, at 36 years old, Crawford wants to move up two weight divisions to face Canelo Alvarez. It's a bold move, but one that Crawford feels is necessary to cement his place in boxing history.
Canelo, however, isn't ready to discuss a potential fight with Crawford just yet. The Mexican superstar is focused on his upcoming bout with Edgar Berlanga on September 14. He's made it clear he won't talk about Crawford until after that fight.
In the meantime, Turki Alalshikh, a businessman involved with Riyadh Season, has offered Crawford a fight against Vergil Ortiz to defend his super-welterweight belt. But Alalshikh expects Crawford to turn it down, believing the American's sole focus is on Canelo.
Crawford's coach, Brian McIntyre (BoMac), shared some insights in a recent interview with Luke Thomas. McIntyre revealed that Crawford has mentioned retirement several times recently. He said:
"He mentioned it a couple times. Just let the dust settle a little but and just see where he at after a couple months go by. But he told me the same thing that he's telling the world – 'that's the fight that I want, I want to put a stamp on my legacy and I want to go out on top.'"
McIntyre doesn't see any other fights that interest Crawford or himself at this point. He believes Crawford has nothing left to prove at 154 or 147 pounds:
"Not really. There's nothing else left for Bud to prove. At 54 or going back down to 47, he accomplished everything that we set our eyes on. He wants that Canelo fight and I want him to have it to because not only will it solidify him as a fighter, it will solidify us as coached when we get the job done."
The boxing world will watch closely as these events unfold. The outcome of Canelo's fight with Berlanga in September could impact Crawford's future. If the Canelo fight doesn't materialize, fans might have seen the last of Terence Crawford in the ring. It's a high-stakes game for one of boxing's most talented fighters.
