Terence Crawford Still Playing His Canelo Alvarez Gambit

Terence Crawford continues to play the risky waiting game, hoping on a big money bout with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez that may or may not materialize.

The risk in all of this, of course, is in the fact that Crawford is 37 and has only fought once since his legacy-defining rout of Errol Spence in July of 2023. There’s money to be made in this late stage of the Omaha, Nebraska native’s career, especially as a favored “Global Ambassador” to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season and the boxing apple of Saudi figurehead Turki Alalshikh’s eye.

But Crawford has to actually fight to pocket that nest egg money.

He also has to look good, something he DIDN’T do in his one fight since the Spence victory, against Israil Madrimov on the August 3 Riyadh Season US debut card in Los Angeles.

Crawford’s gambit seems to be centered around one big payout against current boxing cash cow Canelo Alvarez. He’s distanced himself from every other top fight in his weight range in the process, waiting on the Mexican star to make his mind up about his Cinco de Mayo weekend opponent.

This apparent strategy could cost Crawford a good chunk of the rest of his career. However, it could also bag him his biggest payday ever and a legacy accomplishment that dwarfs beating Spence.

“I wouldn’t say I’m chasing Canelo. I think that’s a broad statement. I just want the opportunity to fight the best fighter in my generation that’s out there,” Crawford recently told Boxing Social at an IBA event in Dubai.

“He’s the most accomplished fighter in today’s sport of boxing, other than myself. I’d just like to fight another great. That’s it, that’s all. If the fight happens, I think it would be the biggest fight in the sport of boxing today,”

Alvarez-Crawford looked extremely unlikely as recently as earlier this year, with Alvarez flat-out saying that he wouldn’t entertain the idea, pointing out that he’d get no credit for beating the smaller Crawford and had nothing to gain from the fight. Later, Turki Alalshikh would publicly lash out at Alvarez for not coming to the table to discuss a Crawford fight and then, later, nix the idea altogether.

“Just wrapped up an important meeting now with my team, planning for the upcoming fights that we will make for 2024-2025,” Alalshikh tweeted shortly after the Crawford-Madrimov bout. “I decided to disregard the Canelo fight, as I don’t want it anymore. Instead, I will be focusing for the US market with bigger fights, especially for the legend Crawford.”

However, in recent months, both Alvarez and Alalshikh have seemed to soften their respective stances on Alvarez-Crawford. At the very least, nobody is dismissing the idea outright anymore.

This has given Crawford renewed hope of landing the BIG one, instead of settling for multiple smaller ones.

“2025 I will show the world once again how great I am,” the four-division world champ posted on social media this past Thursday.

As for what would happen if he DID get a shot at Canelo? Well, Crawford’s never been a guy solely interested in a paycheck.

“[I’m] Leaving with my hand rose and everybody’s mouth droppin.’”