IBF and WBO Middleweight Champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) is one of the belt-holders at 160 that Terence Crawford is believed to be looking at in search of his sixth division world title.

CRAWFORD’S OPTIONS

JUST IN: Canelo Alvarez’s First Public Appearance Since Crawford Loss Has

Carlos Adames: WBC World Middleweight champion Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs). He’s a strong possibility for Crawford, as they’ve sparred in the past and he’s viewed as beatable.

Hamzah Sheeraz: The unbeaten super middleweight contender Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) is coming off a fifth-round knockout win over Edgar Berlanga last summer on July 12th. It was easily the best career win for him. Hamzah, 26, is popular in the UK, so there’s money to be made for Bud if he selects him.

Erislandy Lara: The 43-year-old Cuban Lara holds the WBA middleweight title. There would be less upside for Terence if he chose him, as it would give the appearance that he’s cherry-picking.

Janibek Alimkhanuly: Considered to be the King of the 160-lb division, Janibek has past wins over Denzel Bentley, Danny Dignum, Vincenzo Gualtieri, Andrei Mikhailovich, and Anauel Ngamissenque. His punching power, southpaw stance, and skills would make him a tough task for Crawford. It would be a real fight, because Alimkhnuly wouldn’t be hesitant to attack Bud, and he wouldn’t fade after six rounds the way Canelo did.

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis: Apart from an improbable rematch against Canelo, ‘Boots’ Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) would be Crawford’s best option for a big payday in a fight that would be somewhat winnable.

Of course, Crawford could get a mega-million purse fighting David Benavidez, but his chances of coming out victorious in one piece would be slim and none.

There is little interest from fans in a Crawford and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez rematch. Their September 13th fight was less than thrilling to watch, and the second one would likely be a similar dull affair. No one wants to see them fight again.

The Omaha, Nebraska, native, Crawford, is clearly holding onto his four super middleweight titles for a reason, hoping that the Mexican star Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) will use the rematch clause. That’s Crawford’s best and only chance for another giant payday of $50 million.

Terence Crawford urged to accept ‘fight for the ages’ with undefeated former unified world champion

Eddie Hearn wants to see Terence Crawford face Jaron Ennis in 2026.

Crawford has yet to commit to his next move in the sport and is pondering his future after becoming undisputed 168lbs champion with victory over Canelo Alvarez.

READ: I’m the last man to beat Terence Crawford, here’s how I did it

Terence Crawford has never tasted defeat as a professional, but he is familiar with the gutwrenching feeling from his amateur days.

Before embarking on a 42-0 pro career that has seen him rise to the top of the sport, Crawford fought 70 times in the unpaid ranks, losing on 12 occasions.

The last of those defeats came in his final outing in the vest against Miguel ‘Silky Smooth’ Gonzalez at the US Olympic trials in Houston back in August 2007.

JUST IN: Controversial Rule Tyson Fury May Be Forced to Follow if AJ Fight Goes Ahead

Crawford had already beaten Gonzalez twice in October 2006 and June 2007.

But when they met for a third time, Gonzalez exacted his revenge, outpointing Crawford by a margin of 32–23.

Explaining how he did it during a recent appearance on the Porter’s Way Podcast with Shawn Porter, Gonzalez said: “You’ve got to punch with Crawford, you’ve got to counter him while punching with him.

“You have got to bang the body and stay on top of Crawford. Fight him in that phone booth if you can.

“As I remember, that is exactly what I did… What tripped me out was that he got low in the ring; he cut his height down.

“I had a field day with that. He should have stayed tall. I stayed on his chest.

“What I always thought about Crawford was that he is easily taken out of his fight.

“Maybe he fought his fight, but I thought he fought my fight.

“With Bud, you can easily get him to fight you. In all of Bud’s fights, Bud fights you. If you catch him, he wants to catch you back.

“Bud doesn’t run from anybody, and that is where I felt I had the upper hand in our competition.”

Gonzalez eventually had his Olympic dream shattered by Sadam Ali, who went on to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Games.

One year later, both Crawford and Gonzalez turned over as professionals to differing levels of success.

What did Miguel Gonzalez and Terence Crawford achieve as professionals?

While Crawford went on to become the first three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era, Gonzalez never fought for a world title.

In 2014, when Crawford broke out onto the world stage by dethroning WBO lightweight king Ricky Burns in Scotland, Gonzalez lost to the unheralded Fernando Carcamo.

After competing just twice in five years, Gonzalez hung up his gloves in 2019 with a 25-4 record, having never taken a step above North American level.

While he doesn’t measure up to Crawford’s résumé, ‘Silky Smooth’ will forever remain a footnote in the future Hall of Famer’s story.

“It’s mixed emotions,” added Gonzalez, of being mostly remembered for his amateur win over Crawford.

“I wish I was the guy who is on top at the moment, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

“I’m great with the victory, and I’m great with my past with Bud Crawford.

“I take my hat off to him and his career, but he and I know what is going on when we are in that ring.

“As long as he keeps winning, I am that man.”

Terence Crawford Told to Avoid Boxer Who Wants to Fight Him

To refresh your memory, the city of Omaha held a parade in honor of native son Terence Crawford on Saturday, Sept. 27, to celebrate Crawford’s historic win over Canelo Alvarez.

For some, the celebration continued far into the night at the Steelhouse, a concert hall where Crawford was feted on his 38^th birthday. A number of local dignitaries were present including Omaha’s mayor, John Ewing, a close friend of Crawford.

Crawford left the Steelhouse with three of his buddies a few minutes after 1 am. As they exited the parking garage, the car that Crawford was driving attracted the attention of two police officers riding in a squad car. Crawford was driving a dark 2025 Lucid Sapphire, billed as the fastest production sedan in the world, capable of going 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds. The car had no license plate (common in the case of a newly purchased vehicle).

READ: Crawford’s IBF Super Middleweight Title Faces Threat From Cuban

The Steelhouse is located in an area with many bars in the vicinity. Nebraska law prohibits the sale of alcohol after 1 am. It’s normal for police to be canvassing this area after “last call,” especially on a weekend.

The police stopped Crawford’s vehicle at 1:27 am. The officer that approached the vehicle from the driver’s side would later testify that Crawford appeared to be traveling at twice the speed limit. However, the radar wasn’t on, so Crawford would be issued a citation for reckless driving rather than speeding.

The interaction was cordial until the officer spied a firearm on the floorboard under Crawford’s feet. Crawford and his passengers were then ordered out of the car at gunpoint and handcuffed. The man in the front passenger seat, Qasim Shabazz, Crawford’s head of security, volunteered that he was in possession of a firearm as he exited the car. He wore the gun on his hip.

The handcuffs were removed after approximately 10 minutes, Crawford was ticketed, and the crew then continued on its way.

The only member of the foursome to comment publicly on the incident was Shabazz. He said, “I thought we were getting ready to lose our lives” and that the officer who drew his weapon was “unhinged.” Ironically, Shabazz teaches a class in how a person stopped by the police can de-escalate the situation.

Mayor Ewing, who said he was heartbroken when he learned of the incident, promised a thorough investigation with full transparency. Ewing had served 25 years on the Omaha police force before entering politics. He retained police chief Todd Schmaderer although Schmaderer had supported Ewing’s rival, three-term incumbent mayor Jean Stothert, in the May 2025 mayoral election.

Chief Schmaderer and Mayor Ewing held a press conference this past Monday, Oct. 6. It isn’t known if Terence Crawford was invited but it’s a moot point as he was in Saudi Arabia.

The officers, said Schmaderer, acted in conformity with department policy. He addressed the rumor that Crawford was specifically targeted by noting that the officer who approached the driver’s side had no knowledge who was behind the wheel until Crawford handed over his driver’s license. (Had the car had a license plate, the officer could have obtained this information before he approached the vehicle.) Schmaderer also said that the occupants of the vehicle “all acted respectfully and compliantly” and there was no evidence of intoxication.

Chief Schmaderer also acknowledged the symbolism of the incident, namely that members of the African-American community are pulled over at rates disproportionate to their percentage of the population: “Unfortunately, that is generally true that you will see that nationwide.”

The firearms in the vehicle were legal. Two years ago, Nebraska enacted “LV 77” which allows any Nebraska citizen age 21 and over to lawfully carry a concealed weapon. In most states where this is allowed, the entitlement requires a state-issued permit, but not in Nebraska where the only proviso is that the weapon be purchased from a state-licensed dealer.

LV 77 makes police work more challenging, notes Schmaderer. Indeed, earlier on the same day that he addressed the Crawford incident, police were called to a convenience store on the far west side of Omaha where a man was acting erratically. When two policemen approached him, the man pulled out his gun, a shootout ensued, and one of the officers was shot in the head. The uninjured perpetrator, a black male, was due in court the next day on an unrelated charge.

“I certainly would be open to any attempt to repeal [LV 77] or to carve out an exemption for the city of Omaha or metropolitan areas,” says Mayor John Ewing.

P.S. – The officer’s injury wasn’t life-threatening. At last report, he was in good condition.

Crawford’s IBF Super Middleweight Title Faces Threat From Cuban Mandatory Osleys Iglesias

Osleys Iglesias called out undisputed super middleweight champion Terence Crawford and the former King of the division, Canelo Alvarez, this week on social media.

CRAWFORD’S NEW PROBLEM: A HUNGRY CUBAN WITH POWER

“I’m ready for Canelo and for Crawford! Come here!” said Osleys Iglesias on X, calling out Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez. The unbeaten IBF mandatory Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs) wants his title shot against the new champion, Crawford, and if not him, Canelo. Last month, then IBO 168-lb champion Iglesias knocked out Vladimir Shishikin in the eighth round in an IBF title eliminator in Montreal, Canada.

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua agrees to fight Russian giant who revealed 2026

The victory for the Cuban southpaw Osleys made him the new mandatory for the title that Crawford now holds. He hasn’t said what he plans to do, but the IBF will likely order him soon to start defending it against Iglesias. Understandably, the highly rated Iglesias wants his mandatory title shot at the belt Crawford, 38, now holds. He’s made no mention of wanting to defend them against the top contenders at super middleweight. Who can blame him?

THE MOUNT RUSHMORE DREAM NOW RUNS THROUGH IGLESIAS

That IBF title must feel like a heavy burden for Crawford now after receiving this message from Osleys Iglesias. He now knows that he’s not going to be able to hold onto that belt for superficial purposes to use it as an adornment to give himself a sense of prestige.

If Crawford wants to hold onto the IBF strap, he’s going to have to face Iglesias and potentially meet his end.

If he loses to Osleys, he can forget about his dreams of sitting among the all-time greats on the Mount Rushmore of boxing. That IBF belt isn’t jewelry. The thing is, if Terence avoids Iglesias, that’s also a signal that he doesn’t belong because he will have shown a failure of nerves.

Crawford Surrounded by Sharks at 168

With much younger, powerful, and hungry contenders like the Cuban Osleys Iglesias and Christian Mbilli breathing down Crawford’s neck, why would he want to face them? What Crawford should do is vacate his IBF belt, along with his other three, at super middleweight if he has no intention of defending them against the contenders.

Those two sharks would feed on the aging Crawford, who looked his age in just scrapping by with a narrow 12-round unanimous decision over Alvarez last September. Both of them looked like shells of their former selves.

The southpaw Iglesias’ one-punch power, long reach, and vicious right hook would be lethal for the 38-year-old Crawford if he dared to fight him. It’s believed that Bud may choose to move down to 160 to try to capture one or more of the titles to become a six-division world champion. If he does that, the IBF and other sanctioning bodies will need to start stripping Crawford of his belts one by one at super middleweight.

BUD’S STRATEGY: HOLDING TITLES TO LURE CANELO BACK?

Crawford’s likely rationale for holding onto his IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO titles at 168 is to use them for bait to lure Canelo back for a rematch.

The Omaha, Nebraska, native earned a massive purse of $50 million in his fight against Canelo on September 13. Terence is not going to get that kind of money fighting anyone else other than David Benavidez, whom he has already said he has no interest in fighting.

If Canelo doesn’t take the rematch, which it doesn’t appear that he will, Crawford is going to have to defend against Osleys Iglesias pronto. He can’t just sit on the IBF belt along with the others like he did with the WBA 154-lb title, which he recently vacated after not defending it for 13 months.

The IBF title that Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) now holds at 168 must be defended, as there’s never been a mandatory defense of the strap since Canelo captured the belt against Caleb Plant on November 6, 2021. The IBF title has changed hands twice in the last four years, without any mandatory defenses.

Canelo made four successful defenses of the IBF strap before being stripped of the title in July 2024 for his failure to defend it against William Scull. The IBF then elevated Scull to the new champion, and subsequently lost the title to Alvarez earlier this year on May 3. Canelo’s defense of the IBF belt against Crawford on September 13th was voluntary.