Roy Jones Jr. believes Canelo Alvarez needs to prove he can beat Terence Crawford if he moves up to 168 pounds, but not the other way around.
Canelo has not said whether he will fight Crawford, and it all may depend on whether His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is able to negotiate the fight. After Crawford’s recent performance against Israil Madrimov and penniless PPV titles, it is questionable whether Turki will pursue the Canelo-Crawford fight.
Crawford’s undefeated record speaks for itself
Former four-division world champion Jones Jr. says that because Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) has never been defeated and is moving up in weight, he would have a chance to beat unified super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs), depending on their game plan.
Roy says Crawford’s struggles shouldn’t be underestimated given the difficulties he had in his 154-pound debut last month against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov, facing a fighter from Uzbekistan whose skills matched those of Vasiliy Lomachenko.
It seemed that Crawford had trouble with Madrimov’s power, not just his skill. The power that Crawford had at 147 didn’t transfer to 154 and he was forced to apply his jab to win the fight.
The fight was still very even, as Madrimov landed the better punches in each round, but the judges awarded the victory to Crawford because he tried harder in the last four rounds.
“You can’t tell Crawford no until someone beats him. As long as he keeps putting on weight, no one’s going to beat him,” Roy Jones Jr. told Fighthype YouTube channel when asked if Terence Crawford could beat Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds.
Someone could beat Crawford if he wanted to fight other fighters at 154, 160 or 168 pounds. If Crawford were matched up with David Benavidez, David Morrell or Christian Mbilli, one or more of those fighters could beat him, giving Canelo a reason to say no to Crawford.
Of course, Crawford is not undefeated, but we can tell that he is cautious and does not want to put himself on the line anymore. He will just wait and see if Canelo gives him the fight, which is seen as a strategic move on Crawford’s part.
“If they drop him down to 147 or 140, they might have a chance because that requires more of you than just making weight,” Jones said of Crawford. “As long as he keeps getting bigger, the sky’s the limit for Bud. Canelo is a tough cookie to break, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying he’ll beat Canelo, but Canelo’s going to have to beat him.”
Crawford could still beat anyone at 147 and 140 if he turned to those weight classes, considering how feeble the competition is. But since he’s focused on money, he won’t push his luck.
“He doesn’t have to beat Canelo. Canelo has to beat him,” Jones said with his cryptic remark.
It’s unclear what Jones Jr. means when he says Canelo has to beat Crawford and not the other way around. It almost sounds like double-crossing code when he says he feels Crawford will have the advantage, which doesn’t make sense unless you ignore his weight, recent performance and his advanced age.
“It didn’t surprise me at all because Madrimov is one of those guys who has a unique amateur background. These guys from Uzbekistan are some of the best fighters in the world to fight for a world title,” Jones Jr. said when asked if he was surprised by how much trouble Crawford had in his Aug. 3 fight with WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov.
Madrimov’s success against Crawford had nothing to do with his past, but was based more on strength, size, youth, and a willingness to land right punches. He could have been from America and he would have had the same success against Crawford.
“They and Kazakhstan have probably won more medals in the Olympics recently than the Russians, Americans and Cubans because their technique is so good,” said Jones Jr. “So when you see a guy coming from that bloc of the world, you have to know these guys are no joke.”
There are some great Eastern European fighters, but Madrimov didn’t have a great fight and he definitely didn’t look like Lomachenko did against Crawford. Madrimov was landing because Crawford was trying to push him down and he was taking advantage of his aggression to land right hooks.
If Madrimov had fought harder in rounds 10-12, he would have won, but he seemed to lose his nerve as Crawford charged in. If he had fought like “Little GGG,” Crawford would have struggled in the finish.
“This guy [Madrimov] he was 10-0 at the time, and look how much trouble he put Bud in. You have to remember, these are guys like Lomachenko now. That’s not normal,” Jones Jr. said.
“Who said he doesn’t have a chance? Why doesn’t he have a chance?” Jones said of Crawford having a chance to beat Canelo. “The outcome of the fight will depend on how Canelo fights him.”
Crawford would have a chance against Canelo if he followed Mayweather’s game plan of punching, moving, getting low and clinching wherever he got close. It would be very uninteresting for fans who prefer to watch action and entertainment, but people who like to watch pure boxing would be cheerful to see Crawford combine Floyd’s game plan.
“What will define the fight is the approach Canelo takes, because if he takes the wrong approach, he will lose,” said Jones Jr. “If he takes the right approach, he will almost certainly win, but if he takes the wrong approach, he will almost certainly lose.”
Jones isn’t really saying anything here. He’s sitting on the fence, not telling the fans what he really thinks, but judging by the way he’s hyping Crawford up, it seems like he thinks he’ll get the win over Canelo.
“That’s why for me it’s not about who’s the better fighter. It’s about who has the right approach to the fight. Canelo is the bigger guy. If he talked about the right approach, he should have won the fight. If he talked about the wrong approach, he’ll definitely lose the fight,” Jones Jr. said.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.
Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.
Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.
Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.
Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.
Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”
BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.
There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.
Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.
McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.
English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.
Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.
After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.
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