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