Keith “One Time” Thurman says he believes he can “talk” Terence Crawford back to 154 pounds and fight him for the “green” WBC junior middleweight title by defeating champion Sebastian Fundora.

At first glance, it sounds like a crazy fantasy that Thurman cooked up in his head, thinking he would beat Fundora from “The Towering Inferno” and then take on Crawford and make billions of dollars.

Fundor factor

Thurman (31-1, 23 KO) and Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KO) are scheduled to be postponed to January 24, 2026 or January 31, 2026. Their fight was supposed to take place on October 25, 2025, but Fundora suffered a hand injury and the fight had to be postponed to next year.

“Thurman vs. Crawford, I still think he wants to go back down. I still think it’s something for us,” Keith Thurman said in an interview with Brian Custer podcast about his belief that Terence Crawford will want to return to 154 to face him

Crawford’s silence speaks volumes

What made Thurman think Crawford wanted to go down to 154 pounds? He didn’t say a word about going back to 154 pounds. Since defeating Canelo Alvarez on September 13, he has only said that a 160-pound fight might interest him.

It is believed that he will stay at 168 pounds and wait for Canelo to ask for a rematch as that is his best option for a payday. Crawford would have no desire to fight 37-year-old “One Time” Thurman at 154 for a payday that would likely be tiny compared to the $50 million he just received for fighting Canelo.

Turki’s role in fantasy

Turki Alalshikh would have to be interested in paying for the fight between Crawford and Thurman. I don’t know why he would do that when many younger boxing fans have never seen Thurman fight. They don’t know who he is, except for his appearance: a balding man who appears to be in his forties.

“Man, we should get this thing going. Step in with ‘One Time,’ baby,” Thurman said in his desperate hope that Bud Crawford would want to fight him. “I think I might be able to lure Bud in a bit.”

Bigger game for Bud in 168

There are a lot of things that would have to fall into place for Thurman to have a massive payday fight with Crawford. Here are the things that would need to happen:

1. Thurman defeats Fundora convincingly
2. Crawford returns to 154
3. Turki Alalshikh appreciates this meeting
4. Bud had to want this fight
5. Commercial attractiveness

“I don’t know what’s tempting him right now, but I feel like maybe, just maybe, the green belt could entice him just a little bit,” Thurman said of the possibility that Terence might be interested in fighting him if he wins the WBC junior middleweight belt from Sebastian Fundora.

It’s doubtful whether Crawford will see any value in a shot at the WBC 154-pound title if Thurman gets his hands on it by defeating Fundora. Terence, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, has already said that once he leaves the unit, he will never come back.

A return to 154 pounds would be a step back for Crawford. He would face a lot of pressure to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis as well, and it would be a brutal fight for him at 38 years ancient.

Olly Campbell’s verdict: Keep dreaming, Keith

Bud Crawford is focused on collecting divisional world titles to cement his legacy so he can prove he is seen as one of the four on boxing’s Mount Rushmore. That’s where he’s hung up and that’s why he probably wouldn’t be interested in returning to 154 pounds.

If Thurman wants to fight superstar Crawford, he would have to move up to 168 or 160 pounds. Wherever he is or wherever he’s going, Thurman must be heading in that direction. He cannot assume that he is on an equal footing with Crawford in terms of status and negotiations. This isn’t 2016.