After his historic victory over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September 2025 – when Terence Crawford won the undisputed super middleweight title by moving up two divisions – the subject of his future possible opponents remains a focus of speculation among fans and analysts of world boxing. One of the names that has been circulating is David Benavidez, but Crawford has made it clear why he believes that fight is unlikely to happen.
What did Crawford say about Benavidez?
In an interview for the Pound4Pound Podcast with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman, Crawford directly addressed the possibility of facing Benavidez, arguing that the size difference would be too significant for him. According to the American champion:
“Benavidez is a big guy. It’s not that I wouldn’t fight him, I even fought his brother who was also big,” he added
Benavidez is close to six feet tall and will probably come in at 190 or 200 pounds. If I fight him, I might as well fight at heavyweight
Crawford noted that when evaluating potential matchups in higher divisions, the size and strength advantage of an opponent like Benavidez could tip the scales against him, even more so than against Canelo, who is not a naturally big super middleweight.
The context of the Crawford vs. Canelo fight
Before that statement, Crawford had moved up two divisions to face Canelo in Las Vegas, a fight billed as one of the biggest of the decade in boxing
Despite the weight gap, both fighters weighed in at 167.5 pounds, putting to rest any doubts about whether Crawford could physically handle the 168-pound weight class.
After that victory, the conversation about future fights, including one with Benavidez, became inevitable. However, Crawford has been clear that the size difference is a real factor in whether or not he would take that fight.
What does Benavidez think?
Meanwhile, Benavidez has focused on other goals in his career. After moving up to higher weight classes such as light heavyweight and cruiserweight, the Mexican has expressed that he is comfortable at his current weight and would leave Crawford alone in terms of competing at 168. Although Benavidez himself has insisted on the importance of a showdown with Canelo in the past, his focus now seems to be on new challenges, which also reduces the likelihood of the fight with Crawford happening soon.
Debate between fans and experts
The conversation about size, weight and competitiveness in boxing has always been central. Some believe that fights with large weight differences put the physical integrity of the boxers at risk, while others argue that fights between elite figures always generate interest despite these gaps.
For example, the legendary Mike Tyson has commented in other contexts that fighting larger opponents can be a challenge even for established champions.
Is Crawford’s stance definitive?
So far, Crawford has emphasized that he carefully considers who he fights and under what conditions, and the big size difference has been one of the key factors in his analysis of Benavidez
Although there is always the possibility that money or circumstances could change decisions, recent statements suggest that, for now, Crawford believes that his ideal next step is not to face Benavidez due to the physical imbalance.
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