Trainer Robert Garcia says Canelo Alvarez will fight Terence Crawford in May 2025. However, he does not see Crawford winning because he is getting older and Canelo is naturally stronger than him.
He also takes a good jab and was hit harder than Crawford, who looked weak in his debut at 154 against Israil Madrimov on August 3.
The Age and Decline of Crawford
Robert says Crawford is not backing down against interim WBC 154lb champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. He just feels the 37-year-old Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is getting old and wants to get the most money possible before he retires soon.
Garcia says Crawford could make three times more money fighting Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) than Vergil Jr. If Turki Alalshik is willing to pay Canelo a huge amount of money to fight the older, thinner, weaker Crawford, the fight could happen.
With Terence debuting at 168 moving up two weight classes, it would be impossible to see a scenario where he could win. That would be a fight on a business level.
Celebrity match
When you get a fighter as old as Crawford, who didn’t look good in his debut at 154, and move up two more weight classes to 168, it’s not a serious fight. It’s a celebrity match.
To be serious, Crawford would have to reach 168 and prove himself against the best contenders. If he can make it three or four tough fights, then he could face Canelo.
Terence’s Path to Legitimacy
Throw in Crawford with these three to allow him to prove himself worthy of a fight against King Kanel:
- David Benavidez
- David Morrell
- Osley Iglesias
He’s not interested in proving himself with a single fight at 168; it just shows you what he’s looking for. It’s money, NOT inheritance. It’s a joke. It has nothing to do with Crawford’s purpose.
If this were the real world, Crawford would have to move up to 168 and gain the prerequisite experience to prove he’s fit for the position and deserves it.
Terrence doesn’t have to do that here, and the ones who will lose are the fans because Canelo will wipe him out or make him very, very boring like Jermell Charlo did when he moved up from 154 in 2023 to challenge Canelo. Jermell is bigger, faster and stronger than Crawford.
He couldn’t do anything to Canelo and was forced to run for his own skin. The fight was not watched, but Charlo got his big payday, and he hasn’t been seen in the ring since. It was a cash out for him and the fans got a bad product for the money they paid to see the fight on PPV.
Financial motivations
“We would immediately start fighting.” It’s not an easy fight. Crawford is a great fighter, pound for pound #1, #2 or #3,” said Robert Garcia Fighthippe when asked about his interest in a fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Terence Crawford.
“He is already 37 years old and is asking for the highest salary. “I think he’s looking at the Canelo fight, where that would triple the money he could make against Vergil,” Robert said of Crawford. “So he’s just playing smart. I don’t blame him. He is already 37 years old and looking at the best fights for him when it comes to finances.
“What I’m hearing is that (Canelo-Crawford) could happen by May.” I think Crawford is one of the best fighters out there, but he’s older. We won’t know until he fights again. There is that chance. That happens in boxing,” Garcia said of fighters staying overnight, especially when they are nearing their late 30s, like Crawford.
Terence is getting old and approaching 38. He looked terrible in his last fight against Madrimov at 154, and would probably be destroyed in a rematch or if he took on the type of division, IBF junior middleweight champion Bahram Muratazaliev. That guy is now fighting at a higher level than Canelo and has more power. What he would do to Crawford with his left hook would not be pretty.
“I choose Canelo. He’s bigger, stronger (and younger than Crawford). Canelo can take a really good punch. I can see Crawford putting up a good fight. “Cnaleo is physically a bigger guy, stronger,” Garcia said.
