Bernard Hopkins says Terence Crawford will NOT be getting a fight against Canelo Alvarez because the Mexican star has nothing to gain from fighting him.
Crawford would rather fight Canelo for his four belts at 168 rather than defend his newly won undisputed welterweight championship against his IBF mandatory Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, which suggests that he’s looking for a payday.
As Hopkins states, the 36-year-old Crawford isn’t 26, and he understands that he wants to get a bag. Bhop feels there are a lot more realistic fights out there for both fighters that make more sense.
Hopkins says that with one of the major networks getting out of boxing, he thinks that there are going to be a lot of crazy fights that are floated with smaller guys moving up many weight divisions. In other words, wacky circus-level fights are set up to bring the network’s viewers, even if it’s risky for the fighters.
Showtime should have nixed the idea of Canelo defending his undisputed super middleweight championship against 154-pounder Jermell Charlo last weekend because it was obvious before the fight was made that the size disparity would result in a dull mismatch.
In this case, fans paid $85 to watch a boring fight, leaving many feeling ripped off.
If Crawford wants to get a big payday before retiring, he needs to focus on fighting guys like Boots Ennis or moving up to 154 to take on Tim Tszyu or Brian Mendoz rather than trying to get a fight he hasn’t earned against 168-pounder Canelo.
“Crawford cares about his life, and what does that fight do for Canelo fighting Crawford, and Crawford beats Canelo? What does that do for Canelo?” said Bernard Hopkins to Fighthype about Canelo Alvarez gaining nothing by fighting welterweight Terence Crawford.
“I just think that there are so many other fights to make that are realistic and make sense and less life-risking on top of the risk that we have to step in there with guys our weight. Canelo is not coming down to 160.
“That’s one of the things that’s happening on the shakeup of the new world order where you have fighters that are really 154 at best, wanting to take on a Canelo, who can actually fight a cruiserweight and maybe give a cruiserweight, especially at
this moment all the hell they can handle.
“If you can’t hurt a guy like Canelo and you don’t have height and depth to be able to at least have something to work with, then we’re going to see another, what they say is a boring fight, and I say a smart fight. I understand the money grab. I understand it’s about the bag.
“Crawford Ain’t 26. Another major network [Showtime] is saying they packing their bags up. You’re going to see a lot of desperate moves jumping off. You going to see a lot of very unrealistic, unorthodox, crazy thinking, crazy gossip about what fighter should fight what fighter that doesn’t make sense, but it only makes sense if you don’t have nowhere else to go or you start reaching.
“It’s not going to happen. I guarantee you. It’s not going to happen.” said Hopkins about the Canelo vs. Crawford fight.
