Is Terence Crawford biting off more than even “Bud” can chew? Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba thinks so. Speaking on the looming September 13 super-fight, Ajagba cautioned that the unbeaten Crawford will discover just how unforgiving the super-middleweight landscape can be when he meets Canelo Álvarez in Las Vegas.
Ajagba’s central concern is twofold: age and size. Crawford, 37, has only recently tested junior-middleweight waters, and Ajagba believes the jump to 168 lbs will magnify the slippage already visible in last year’s decision over Israil Madrimov. “He’s strong,” Ajagba said, “but when you move up to that weight it’s going to be difficult. That’s not his class.”
Power, Ajagba argues, is the deciding deficit. Crawford’s vaunted potency at 135, 140 and 147 scarcely budged Madrimov at 154, and Álvarez has proven resilient against genuine light-heavyweights like Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol. “You can’t go to Walmart and buy more power,” Ajagba quipped, predicting Crawford will be forced into a stick-and-move game that plays to Canelo’s counter-punching traps.
Canelo, meanwhile, is “comfortable at the weight,” Ajagba noted, having ruled 168 since unifying the division. The Mexican’s granite resistance and compact frame make him a nightmare for smaller men chasing legacy. Crawford’s best shot, Ajagba suggests, would have been coaxing Canelo down in weight - an option long past negotiation.
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Image Credit: Sky Sports