A pound-for-pound icon has dismissed Terence Crawford in a fantasy matchup at 168lbs, firmly believing that his speed would have proved too significant for the naturally smaller man.
Crawford made a monumental statement when he jumped up to super-middleweight and toppled Canelo Alvarez to become a three-division undisputed champion.
This extraordinary feat arrived in September, with ‘Bud’ producing a career-defining performance to decisively outpoint Canelo and capture his four major belts.
But while his display was truly impressive, there is no denying that the 38-year-old’s frame was always better suited to the lower weight divisions.
At 147lbs for instance, Crawford ended every one of his outings inside the distance, before finally dethroning Errol Spence Jr with an emphatic ninth-round stoppage victory in 2023.
With the Omaha man collecting world titles at 135lbs, 140lbs and 154lbs too, many suspected that his assignment against Canelo would simply be a step too far.
On that particular night though, Crawford utilised practically every weapon in his arsenal to prove that size, in fights like this, only represents half of the story.
And yet, nevertheless, former multi-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr remains convinced that he would have had the beating of ‘Bud’ at 168lbs.
Not only would he have boasted a glaring size advantage, but Jones also believes that his speed was perhaps beyond what Crawford has ever previously experienced.
That, along with his largely enigmatic style, is why Jones told Boxing News that he, unlike Canelo, would have ultimately been a step too far for the five-division world champion.
“I like Terence – Terence is a very good fighter – but he grew up on Roy Jones. It’s hard to tell you that these guys [would have] whooped Roy Jones when they’re still asking questions, to Roy Jones, about how he did things.
“It’s hard to beat Roy Jones if you don’t fully understand him. It would have been an intriguing fight [with Crawford] because he has heart, and he has confidence, and is a very challenging guy – that’s why I knew he’d beat Canelo, because he stands up to the challenge.
“But I was a different guy. I was much faster than 99 per cent of the people I fought.”
Crawford’s next move is currently unknown, with it seeming likely that he will drop down to middleweight in search of claiming world honours in another division.
