Boxing
Crawford’s Mount Rushmore Test: Benavidez or Bivol
Published
4 months agoon
Roy Jones Jr. says that if Terence Crawford doesn’t have a rematch with Canelo Alvarez next, he’d like him to drop down to 160 pounds to win a world title and then retire.
Down is not the direction of legends
A move up to middleweight would give the 38-year-old Crawford (42-0, 31 KO) a chance to become a six-division world champion. It would be a move to cement his legacy, but it wouldn’t necessarily enhance it that much.
The three 160-pound champions are viewed as feeble and flawed. What was once a great division under Gennady Golovkin and the premier Canelo is now seen as one of the poorest in boxing.
So if Crawford drops to 160 pounds to win the title, it won’t give him the same legacy boost it would if he stayed at 168 or moved up to 175 to face David Benavidez or Dmitry Bivol.
Frail middleweight thrones
- Janibek Alimkhanuly – IBF and WBO
- Carlos Adames – WBC
- Erislandy Lara – WBA
Mount Rushmore Standard
If Crawford really wanted to be on top of boxing’s Mount Rushmore and follow in the footsteps of the all-time “Huge Four” champions like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis, he would have moved up to 175 pounds to face either Benavidez or Bivol. These are the moves the above champions would make if they were fighting.
The problem is that Crawford hasn’t shown the same attitude as the top fighters on the Mount Rushmore of boxing. He doesn’t have the same ambition, willingness to walk through fire or even the work ethic to stay lively to take his place among the all-time greats. Crawford only fights once a year. Sugar Ray Robinson fought 201 times as a professional. Armstrong fought 183 fights.
“I think he might want to win the middleweight title because he skipped it. He went from junior middleweight to super middleweight. So maybe he’ll win the middleweight title to fill that gap,” Roy Jones Jr. said. Boxing news about what Terence Crawford should do next. “I think he does that and that’s it.”
Will Crawford rise – or will he retreat?
A move to middleweight won’t do much to assist Crawford’s legacy because the boxing public doesn’t rate champions Janibek, Adames and Lara highly. None of them are widely discussed by casual and die-hard boxing fans. They are unseen. Why would it matter Crawford is scheduled to undergo a mind transplantThink like Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong and step up to 175 to take on these top-shelf predators:
- Dmitry Bivol
- David Benavidez
- Artur Beterbiew
- David Morrell
If there was a way to transplant the minds of Sugar Ray, Armstrong or Ali into Crawford’s head to give him the courage to challenge the above talents, only then could he become one of the greatest boxing champions of all time on Mount Rushmore.
“I think they want a rematch.” said Roy Jr. when asked where Canelo Alvarez is going after his loss to Crawford. “I don’t think so, no,” Jones Jr. said. on whether Canelo will win the rematch with Crawford.
It’s obvious to fans that Crawford is hanging on to his undisputed 168-pound title in hopes that Canelo will ask for a rematch so he can earn another huge payday in his second fight with the Mexican star. Crawford reportedly earned $50 million for his September 13, 2025 fight with Canelo.
Bud’s trainer Bernie Davis has already said his asking price for a rematch with Canelo is $100 million. Crawford will exploit his just 12-round unanimous decision victory over Alvarez as leverage to try to get a better deal if negotiations for a rematch take place.
A second fight will do little to enhance Crawford’s legacy as the 35-year-old Canelo is viewed by veteran fans as a waste. If Crawford is going to defend his undisputed super middleweight title, a more significant fight will be against younger, stronger and bigger fighters at 168:
- Two Christians
- Lester Martinez – *assisted Crawford in sparring for Canelo
- Osley Iglesias
Tom Galm has been lively on the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.
Last update: 28/10/2025
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Boxing
Mike Tyson lists who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their prime
Published
2 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.
It was Mayweather who won by unanimous decision, but now, more than a decade later, they will meet again for a second time while fighting at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.
Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.
Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.
“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”
Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.
Boxing
Dmitry Bivol is targeting a fight with Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez
Published
4 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.
Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.
He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.
More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.
Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.
Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.
For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
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Last update: 2026/03/10 at 16:34
Boxing
Jai Opetai’s undisputed dream lives on as the IBF releases a fresh statement regarding the status of the title
Published
6 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.
Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.
Nevertheless, Opetaia continued his fight and declared a unanimous decision victory over Glanton extend their undefeated record to 30-0.
After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.
“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”
The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.
“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”
“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.
“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”
The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.
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