Terence Crawford's next move remains a mystery after his victory against Israil Madrimov in August 2023. Crawford clinched the WBA super-welterweight title, adding a fourth weight class to his world champion status.
Crawford's win over Madrimov came by unanimous decision at 154lbs. This triumph marked a significant step up from his previous fights at 147lbs, showcasing his ability to conquer new weight divisions.
Now, Crawford faces a crossroads in his career. He's got his sights set on a potential clash with Canelo Alvarez at 168lbs for the unified super-middleweight championship. This fight would mean another big jump in weight for Crawford, who started his pro career at 135lbs.
But if the Canelo fight doesn't happen, Crawford might hang up his gloves for good. That's the view of top trainer Robert Garcia, who shared his thoughts with Fighthype.
"Crawford is a smart man. He already accomplished a lot and did a lot. He doesn't need to challenge himself and doesn't need to prove nobody anything."
Garcia went on to say:
"I've talked to him personally, my feeling is he wants that big fight against Canelo, and if he doesn't get that, he might never fight again. He doesn't need anybody to push him to take a challenge that he doesn't need to prove anything anymore. He's already accomplished it."
Garcia thinks Crawford won't be swayed by fan pressure to take on certain opponents. He believes Crawford will go after the best fight available or simply enjoy his life outside the ring.
"I don't see him pleasing the fans just because they're telling him he needs to fight this guy or that guy, he'll go and look for the best fight and if not he'll enjoy his life."
Crawford's career has seen him steadily climb through the weight classes. He's proven his skills across multiple divisions, and now he's weighing up whether to take on one more big challenge or bow out on top.
Crawford's victory over Madrimov showed he's still at the top of his game. Whether we'll see him in the ring again remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure - he's got nothing left to prove.
