Trainer Stephen Edwards says Hamzah Sheeraz is the best option for Terence Crawford to fight if he chooses to stay at 168. He believes that Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) is the most marketable fighter at super middleweight due to his UK fan base.
Age, Size, and Power: The Odds Against Bud
It’s a fight that the 38-year-old Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) would be giving up a lot of age, size, power, and speed. It could be an ugly fight to watch if Crawford chooses to run from Sheeraz like he was doing against Canelo on September 13. Bud resembled an older, less powerful version of William Scull in that fight, but he was equally boring.
“The most marketable opponent for Bud right now [at 168] is Hamzah Sheeraz. I could see that fight happening,” said trainer Stephen Edawards to YSM Sports Media about a good option for Terence Crawford if he chooses to fight at super middleweight next.
Sheeraz may be the most marketable fighter at 168 outside of Canelo for Crawford to fight. But it’s also not a sure thing for Terence, as he couldn’t count on having a reach, hand speed, or stamina advantage like he did against the deteriorated, and short 5’8 Canelo.
Hamzah would have a half-inch reach, a six-inch height, and the advantage in power over Canelo. He’s also 12 years younger at 26 compared to the 38-year-old Crawford.
Crawford’s Risk of Ruining His Carefully Built Legacy
If Bud took that fight, he could live to regret it, as it would mess up his carefully crafted record and spoil once and for all his vision of being in the top four all-time greats with his Mount Rushmore of boxing claims. As it is, Crawford lacks the resume to be among the top four. The guys he’s beaten don’t put him in the same league as these four:
- Sugar Ray Robinson
- Muhammed Ali
- Joe Louis
- Sugar Ray Leonard
“He’s an ambassador with Turki. The UK follows their fighters. He just had a huge knockout. I’m trying to think on the business side,” said Edwards about Hamzah Sheeraz.
If Crawford is just interested in money and not in fighting the best, he should take on Sheeraz, one of the two 168-pounders; that’s the most beatable. It would be a bad idea for Crawford to fight Christian Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias, or Lester Martinez.
“Sheeraz had a draw at 160 against Adames. He’s a solid fighter, but Bud is better than him. Bud might say in his mind, ‘I can beat Sheeraz. He might take that challenge. This is a business now. His minimums are going to be huge,” said Edwards.
Sheeraz was fighting with an injured hand during the fight with Adames, but it was still a close match. If Crawford were to fight Hamzah, he would have to be ready to get hit a lot more than he did against Canelo, and more often than he was against Israil Madrimov. It would be a different experience. But if he’s going to try and defend that belt, Sheeraz is the guy he should be fighting. Facing Mbilli, Martinez or Osleys would be a nightmare for Crawford.
Jeeper’s View: Running Won’t Save Bud Like It Did Against Canelo
Interestingly, Edwards wouldn’t definitely rule out the possibility of Crawford beating David Benavidez, Artur Beterbiev, or Dmitry Bivol. The fact that he wasn’t sure about the outcome makes you question his judgment. If you watched how tough of a time Crawford had against Canelo and Madrimov, it’s obvious that he would be completely overmatched against Beterbiev, Bivol, and Benavidez. They’d beat him up unless he ran. He did plenty of that against Canelo. He wouldn’t fight those guys, though, because he knows what would happen.
Jeepers Isaac has been covering boxing since 2020, bringing readers sharp ringside insights and timely analysis on the sport’s biggest moments
