How six fighters could test Terence Crawford's boxing skills

Terence Crawford's historical show successful a unanimous determination victory implicit Canelo Alvarez successful September, witnessed by more than 40 cardinal viewers connected Netflix, won him the undisputed ace middleweight title and helped cement his bequest among the all-time greats. Along with becoming undisputed champion successful a 3rd value class, helium besides joined lone a fistful of five-division satellite champions passim boxing history. But with that triumph successful the rear-view mirror, we present absorption connected what could beryllium adjacent for ESPN's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

A rematch with Canelo would travel with different tremendous payday, but is that combat necessary? Crawford dominated Canelo, and chances are the rematch would play retired the aforesaid way. I presumption that enactment arsenic casual wealth for Crawford.

But if there's nary rematch, who should Crawford combat to further heighten his legacy? Should helium spell down successful value by 8 pounds successful an effort to conquer the 160-pound division, a value people wherever he's ne'er fought? Or should helium trial himself further by warring bigger, much skilled, established pound-for-pound-ranked fighters successful bouts that would bring immense hazard but the imaginable for unsurpassed glory?

As I reappraisal the landscape, 5 names basal retired arsenic imaginable Crawford opponents, with 1 of them offering him a peculiar bonus lucifer with large wealth and bragging rights. Any of these 5 names would undoubtedly assistance further his already illustrious career, but 2 of the names clasp a precocious level of interest and would trial each azygous quality of Crawford's existence.

Let's interruption down each of these imaginable matchups.

The astir logical opponents

Carlos Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs)

WBC middleweight champion | Switch-hitter

If Crawford decides to situation for a 160-pound satellite title, a triumph would marque him lone the 2nd combatant successful men's boxing and 3rd wide to triumph a rubric successful six divisions (Manny Pacquiao has won titles successful 8 value classes, Amanda Serrano successful seven).

There's sparring footage of Crawford moving with Adames astatine Gleason's Gym successful Brooklyn a fewer years back, showing glimpses into however the 2 fighters matchup stylistically. Forget the value oregon the day of that sparring session. It was a back-and-forth battle, some fighters displaying accomplishment and will. What stood retired to me, contempt Adames being the people larger man, was that the middleweight didn't look to beryllium the ascendant figure. Adames is nary pushover. Skill-wise, he's a existent occupation for anyone successful his value class. He brings versatility, crisp timing, precise punch placement and a assortment of attacks -- upstairs and downstairs -- each backed by morganatic punching power.

That said, Adames doesn't power stances arsenic fluidly oregon instinctively arsenic Crawford, who is 1 of boxing's champion switch-hitters. Adames tin surely combat good capable to occupation adjacent a method combatant similar Crawford, and helium showed that successful their sparring exchanges. But if we're talking astir a focused, fully-prepared Crawford, 1 who's had a full campy to accommodate to 160 pounds and is dialed successful connected 1 azygous target, it's hard to stake against Crawford.

Crawford's experience, composure nether pressure, his know-how and know-when and the quality to marque mid-fight adjustments are what abstracted him from the rest. In a script wherever everything other is equal, Crawford would apt interruption Adames down, systematically attacking his body. I fishy that if they were to fight, it would beryllium different master-class show that would extremity with Crawford stopping Adames wrong 10 rounds.

Crawford's chances of winning: 70%

Janibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs)

IBF, WBO middlew...