Terence Crawford was photographed standing next to undisputed welterweight champion Artur Beterbiev, looking almost the same size as the four-belt 175lb champion. Between fights, Crawford looks huge, and it’s clear that he’s 1000% ready to fight the big dogs at 168 and 175.
His His Excellency Turki Alalshih shouldn’t be limited to Canelo Alvarez as a potential opponent for superstar Crawford for the 2025 fight.
Beterbiev: A real test for Crawford
With Canelo holding off on the idea of fighting Crawford, Turki should focus on taking on Bado against the winner of the Beterbiev vs. Dmitri Bivol 2 rematch on February 22. The 37-year-old Crawford has gained size and is almost three years younger than Beterbiev, who turns 40 on January 21.
Three absolute icons 🤩
📸 @ABeterbiev pic.twitter.com/VUkukPUzMf
— DAZN boxing (@DAZNBoking) December 7, 2024
If Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is serious about moving up in weight and taking on Alvarez at 168, he might as well bulk up an additional seven pounds to challenge Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) for his four titles in 2025. It would be a big fight for Bud Crawford, who he wants to make history before he retires.
Turki could use his quick decision making to cut before the PBC, with their plans to match the winner of the Feb. 1 fight between David Benavidez and David Morrell vs. the winner of Beterbiev-Bivol 2. A Crawford vs. Beterbiev matchup would be a great fight against Bivol.
Who wants that more?
We know Crawford has been working as a politician running for office, trying to take on Canelo, but it’s pretty obvious that the Mexican star lost the ability to take risks and is afraid to face Omaha from Nebraska for fear of losing or looking bad. Beterbiev would not be afraid, and neither would Bivol.
A match between Crawford and Beterbiev would be more interesting as it would involve a slugger vs. boxer, which is the type of fight that fans would love to see. Crawford vs. Buffalo would be two boxers and a lot of movement. It would be a chess match, and that is boring to most boxing fans, who prefer to watch the action.