Two-weight world champion wants to move up and face Terence Crawford after his next fight
Terence Crawford has been called out by a fighter who, just like he did against Canelo Alvarez, is determined to move up several weight divisions and take on him.
Having already cemented his legacy, the 38-year-old appears to have reached a point in his career where more lucrative opportunities are few and far between.
Of course, he got a monstrous payday against Canelo in September, while also becoming an undisputed three-division champion after unanimously outpointing the Mexican super middleweight.
Now, however, it appears that Crawford might struggle to make even a comparable amount of money, especially considering the lack of notable names in and around his division.
It appears a potential clash with unified middleweight king Janibek Alimkhanuly could come to fruition next year, offering ‘Bud’ the chance to become a six-weight world champion.
But again, the money on offer is unlikely to give Crawford a reason to get out of bed, unless he remains genuinely eager to further improve his greatness.
When it comes to a purely financial matchup, then, he might be drawn to Teofimo Lopez, who has expressed interest in a possible fight with “Bud” following his upcoming outing.
The WBO super-lightweight world champion must first defend his title against Shakur Stevenson, holder of the WBC 135-pound belt, on January 31.
If he succeeds in his tricky mission in New York, then Lopez could be considered one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
At that point, Crawford, who is close friends with Stevenson, could actually start answering the 28-year-old’s call he made on Inside The Ring.
“Crawford sent one of his little guys [Stevenson] come and finish the job, and I don’t think it’s going to work.
“I’ll still be here, and if he’s still going to be boxing, I’d love to fight him right after [the Stevenson fight].
“He’s the man, he’s the man of boxing. If he can move up three weight classes to fight Canelo Alvarez, why can’t Teofimo move up two or three weight classes to fight Terence Crawford?”
