Dmitry Bivol believes Terence Crawford could defeat the four-belt super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez if the fight comes off between them. If the fight comes off, Crawford would be going from 147 to 168 without the benefit of a handicap in terms of a catchweight.
Crawford Aims for Undisputed Glory
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), who is nearing the end of his career, has expressed interest in moving up to 168 to fight Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs) for his undisputed championship.
Terence wants to go straight to a title fight with Canelo without having to fight in an eliminator or beat one of the top contenders like David Benavidez, who is waiting for his turn.
As good as Crawford is, it’s highly doubtful that he could defeat Benavidez or David Morrell Jr. if he had to defeat either or both of them to get Canelo.
While it’s great that Crawford beat Errol Spence, Morrell and Benavidez hit a little harder and are bigger than him.
Those fights would be very taxing on Crawford, and if he somehow got through either of them, he might worn down by the time he gets to Canelo. Fighting those guys would age Crawford.
Respecting Weight, But Not Ruling Out Upset
“I can imagine it. I can imagine a lot of scenarios,” said Dmitry Bivol to Fight Hub TV on whether Terence Crawford can beat Canelo Alvarez. “I remember when I came to the boxing gym. One of the first lessons I learned was, ‘You should respect weight classes.’
“Terence Crawford is now one of my favorite fighters. I mean, active fighters. He has good skills, very good skills,” Bivol continued.
Canelo didn’t look great in his fight with John Ryder last May, but he was a lot better in his last title defense against Jermell Charlo. Crawford would have difficulty taking the kind of shots that Jermell did from Canelo. The power that Canelo showed against Charlo was impressive.
Leaving the Door Open for Surprise
“Maybe, he could show us something. It’s funny if I give him advice. He knows already what he needs to do, and his coach knows. They will find a solution. How to do it. It will happen or not,” said Bivol.
It would be great if Crawford would “show us something” by moving up to 168 and fighting Morrell or Benavidez first in a test before facing Canelo.