Former multi-division world champion Mikey Garcia says he’s not a fan of Terence Crawford transferring up two weight courses to problem Canelo Alvarez for his three tremendous middleweight belts.
Mikey feels that it’s an excessive amount of for Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to struggle the heavier and extra highly effective Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) after having bother in his current transfer to 154 in opposition to Israil Madrimov final August. He thinks Crawford ought to keep at 154 and look to unify in opposition to the opposite champions.
He believes that he most likely received’t do this as a result of there’s no cash preventing the opposite belt-holders at junior middleweight in comparison with what he can get preventing Canelo. Mikey says the Canelo-Crawford bout is a “large struggle” due to the “cash” it can usher in, however not a fantastic one as a result of measurement mismatch.
Mikey Doubts Crawford
Crawford didn’t present a lot energy in opposition to Madrimov and was uncomfortable consuming proper palms from him.
“Canelo is preventing at 168. Crawford simply moved as much as 154, and he had some bother in that struggle,” mentioned Mikey Garcia to Battle Hub TV, expressing disapproval of Terence Crawford preventing unified three-belt tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. “Now, the place do you propose on going? To 164, 165 or 166? Canelos isn’t going to return all the way down to 160. He’ll come all the way down to 166 if he accepts.
“I believe Canelo wins that struggle simply primarily based on energy and measurement. Talent-wise, I believe Crawford is a better-skilled fighter, however the distinction in measurement would be the deciding issue. That’s why I’m not a fan of that struggle. I believe Crawford has completed all the things he needed to accomplish.
“From 140 to 147, and now 154. That’s even nice for him. If he needs to do one thing. Gather belts at 154. He can try that, however there’s no cash in that in comparison with the Canelo struggle. Canelo is attempting to struggle different guys,” mentioned Garcia.
Crawford’s Payday
Crawford clearly needs the struggle in opposition to Canelo for the cash, and that’s the one purpose. If it had been about legacy, Crawford would first transfer as much as 160 to struggle the champions in that weight class, however he’s not doing that as a result of none of them are stars.
There’s no cash for Crawford to get. He needs that, and preventing Canelo will present him with that payday. He’s acquired to thank Turki Al-Sheikh for that as a result of he’s the one making it doable. If not for him, Canelo wouldn’t trouble preventing Crawford.
“At that time, it’s extra of an enormous struggle for the cash it’s going to generate,” mentioned Mikey concerning the Canelo vs. Crawford conflict. “However as a struggle fan, I’m not a fan of that match-making. I’d moderately see Canelo transfer up and struggle Beterbiev or Bivol once more. If he needed to problem himself, transfer as much as 175 once more and problem these guys. Not a smaller man transferring up [Crawford].”
Canelo doubtless received’t transfer up tp 175 once more except Dmitry Bivol can seize the undisputed mild heavyweight championship in his rematch with Artur Beterbiev on February twenty second. If Bivol wins that struggle, Canelo may very well be fascinated by going up in weight for a rematch as a result of it might enable him to attempt to turn out to be a two-division undisputed champion.
Additionally, the cash Canelo would get for that struggle could be large. There could be much less of a backlash for Alvarez if he loses to Bivol once more as a result of he’s transferring up in weight in opposition to an even bigger man. With Bivol being a finesse-level fighter, there’s much less for Canelo to fret preventing him than if Beterbiev is victorious on February twenty second.
Keep at 154
“The identical factor with Crawford. He doesn’t want to maneuver as much as struggle Canelo. He can simply struggle guys at 154,” mentioned Mikey.
Crawford would most likely solely be fascinated by preventing WBC and WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora for his belts at 154 as a result of it’s a struggle the place he wouldn’t have to fret as a lot about getting knocked out. If Crawford had been to problem IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev or WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr, he may get stopped.
These guys are youthful and extra highly effective than him. They might be trying so as to add the soon-to-be 38-year-old Crawford’s scalp to their assortment. That will be a tremendous trophy.
