Terence Crawford’s run-oriented victory over a declining four-belt super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez last Saturday night wasn’t good enough to prove to fans that he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of boxing on the All Time great list that he’s been talking about.

Benavidez Is the True Test

Crawford must defeat David Benavidez for him to show that he’s deserving of being seen as a true great. Is that too much to ask for? There’s no difference in size between Crawford and Benavidez other than inches in height for the 6’2″ ‘Mexican Monster.’ They both have an identical 74 1/2″ reach.

We’ve seen Crawford beat a faded Canelo to collect all four belts at once to become undisputed at 168, and we saw him do the same against the 2019 post-car crash version of Errol Spence, capturing three belts to achieve that feat at 147.

Can David Benavidez still make 168 pounds? 🤔

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) September 14, 2025

Alvarez and Spence were both faded when Crawford fought them. Casual fans wouldn’t know this, or the noncurious hardcore boxing fans that don’t bother to scrutinize the physical state of Bud’s opponents. What we want to see now is whether Crawford can beat a fighter in the prime of his career in David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs).

Turki Alalshikh needs to forget about pouring money into a rematch between Canelo and Crawford. Instead of doing that, he needs to focus on setting up a fight between Crawford and Benavidez.

The Alalshikh Mandate

Predictably, Terence will refuse to fight Benavidez if it’s offered to him by Turki. But if that’s the only option given to him in a take-it-or-leave-it manner, he’d have no choice. If Turki tells Crawford that’s all he has for him after his last two less-than-entertaining fights against Alvarez and Israil Madrimov, he’d have to accept the Benavidez or retire.

We need to prove that Terence can beat an actual young apex fighter. We’ve seen that he can already beat faded fighters. I want to see if Crawford can beat a talent in the zenith of his career to show that he’s not a calculated fighter who carefully selects his opponents at their most vulnerable state in their careers.

Terence didn’t start showing a huge interest in fighting Spence until after his car crash in 2019. He didn’t start campaigning heavily for a fight against Canelo until his back-to-back unimpressive performances in 2024 against Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga.

A Run to Victory

Crawford’s victory over Canelo involved too much running for him to be considered worthy of being placed on the All-Time great list. Beyond the reality that Canelo is no longer in his prime and appears like a shell of his former self, Crawford’s movement was the opposite of how all-time great fighters fight.

A Manufactured Career?

Placing Terence prematurely on the All Time great list would tarnish it because his resume is too weak, and there’s the perception from many fans that his career is just a scam. In other words, they believe Crawford has been artificially manufactured to look better than he is by a combination of cunning, calculated matchmaking, and his weight manipulation of fighting well below his actual 170+ lb size.

All Time Greats

Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Robinson
Joe Louis
Sugar Ray Leonard
Henry Armstrong
Jack Johnson
Salvador Sanchez
Willie Pep
Roberto Duran
Jack Dempsey

Nation Vegas has been writing on the fight game since 2012 and is now a featured writer with Boxing News 24. Over the years, he has built a reputation for strong coverage of both major events and rising prospects, delivering news, fight reports, and features that connect with fans worldwide.

With more than a decade of experience, Nation combines sharp analysis with an accessible style, making his work a reliable source for readers who want to follow the sport from every angle. His consistency and passion for boxing have established him as a respected voice on the site.

Boxing News 24 » The Benavidez Mandate: The Only Fight That Can Legitimize Crawford’s Claim to All-Time Status

Last Updated on 09/14/2025