Boxing

Crawford’s Mount Rushmore Test: Benavidez or Bivol

Published

9 months ago

October 28, 2025

Image: Terence Crawford's Legacy at Stake: The Benavidez Fight and All-Time Great Status

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

Boxing

Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshuas Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshua's Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns"

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Anthony Joshua‘s dramatic knockout victory against Kristian Prenga.

Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoevenand two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.

The Brit was dropped twice by massive underdog Prenga in the opening round of their clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but ‘AJ’ managed to recover and record a big knockdown of his own in the second round that resulted in the stoppage victory.

Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.

Speaking to TalkSporttwo-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.

“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.

It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.

“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”

Fury was victorious on Friday as he earned a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, paving the way for the showdown against Joshua later this year.

Boxing

Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshuas Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshua's Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns"

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturdayin a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in Decemberand now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social mediaPaul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through.

Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 25, 2026

The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.

Boxing

Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshuas Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshua's Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Anthony Joshua may have earned a knockout win over Kristian Prenga but the fight certainly didn’t unfold as most people expected.

Joshua was facing the Albanian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and it looked like a massive upset could be on the cards when he was dropped twice in the opening round.

‘AJ’ was able to recover and went on to secure a second round knockout victory to prevent the shock lossseemingly paving the way for the battle against Tyson Fury later this year.

One man who was ringside to witness the battle was former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellewand he praised Joshua’s ability to turn things around in the fight after describing it as ‘chaos’.

“We predicted round two but I don’t think we foresaw that. That was chaos. He doesn’t see the uppercut coming and finds himself on the floor without knowing how he got there.

“The second one he did see it coming and he was able to clench down on the jaw. He got up and then the experience that he has he used tonight because he tied him up. Against Andy Ruiz he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know how to do that, but tonight he did.

“He showed once again there is no quit. To be that hurt in the first round and get up, that’s the recoveries of power. People talk about your chin, but it’s not, it’s the level of fitness that gets you up from the floor.

“When Joshua gets a fighter hurt he’s the best finisher in the division. Whenever he hurts someone they’re gone. I haven’t seen him drop anybody and they survive, only Andy Ruiz. He’s a ruthless finisher.”

The clash between Joshua and Fury is now expected to be announced soon for later this year, after Fury won his own interim fight on Friday by defeating Mariusz Wach.