Shakur Stevenson Argues Canelo Has No Answer For The Genius Of Terence Crawford

Shakur Stevenson believes Terence Crawford will be the same fighter at 168 as he was at 154 and below when he challenges Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight gold on September 13th.

Stevenson doesn’t think the two-division jump will affect Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) at all, and he’ll dominate Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) as he did to other fighters from the junior middleweight division down to lightweight.

Crawford’s Perfect Style to Topple Canelo

“Bud is the only one who can beat Canelo at 168. Canelo doesn’t do well against southpaws, and Bud’s style is perfect to exploit that. Look at how Canelo struggled with John Ryder’s movement—Bud’s on another level with that,” said Shakur Stevenson to the Ring Magazine channel.

You have to ignore what Terence did in those weight classes because none of those fighters were elite-level, and they would all be overmatched if they competed with a fighter like Canelo. The version of Errol Spence that Crawford beat in 2023 wouldn’t last more than two or three rounds against Alvarez. That is arguably Terence’s best career win.

Crawford, 37, has been on another level than the opposition that he’s fought in the four divisions he’s competed in as a pro during his 17-year professional career. Boxing fans still question whether Bud will be the same fighter at 168 that he was in the lower weight classes. He seemed to have reached his limit when he moved up to 154 last year and scraped by with a narrow decision against Israil Madrimov.

Crawford might not be the only fighter who can beat Canelo at 168. We haven’t seen Alvarez fight the young crop of contenders at super middleweight. He’s been putting these fighters on ignore:

– Christian Mbilli
– Diego Pacheco
– Hamzah Sheeraz
– Osleys Iglesias

Bud’s Next Target: Light Heavyweight Kings

If Crawford can beat Canelo, it means that he’s capable of doing more by moving up to 175 to take on Dmitry Bivol for his three light heavyweight titles, WBC champ David Benavidez, or Artur Beterbiev. That would be one way for Crawford to cement his legacy. Those fighters would be a big test for Crawford.