Terence Crawford during a July 27, 2023 press conference. IMAGO / Hoganphotos

Terence Crawford Reveals Legendary Promoter Kept Him From Career-Changing Fight

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 4:43 PM ET

Anticipation for the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight continues to build as their September 13 fight for Canelo's WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF super middleweight titles approaches. Given all that both Canelo and Crawford have accomplished in their respective careers, there are few fights in boxing that could be made right now that will feature such world-class competitors.

While nobody can deny Crawford's boxing ability, his stardom is dwarfed by that of Canelo, who is currently the face of boxing. Crawford certainly isn't known for being a trash talker, but some could argue that how he was promoted earlier on in his career also had a negative effect on him becoming a household name.

The First Face Off Between Canelo Alvarez & Terence Crawford! pic.twitter.com/btu8bnOAis
— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) June 20, 2025

It appears the Crawford also shares this sentiment, which he revealed during a June 20 interview with Mike Coppinger of The Ring Magazine.

"When I left Top Rank, you saw how my career blossomed," Crawford said. "I appreciate everything that Top Rank did for me, but at the same time, I was in a situation where they weren’t trying to put the money behind me like I felt they should of.

"If they would have, then it could have been a case where I would have got the Manny Pacquiao fight, got all those big fights I was asking for years ago," he added.

It's fascinating to hear Crawford potentially losing out on a fight with Manny Pacquiao (who is coming out of retirement to face Mario Barrios on July 19), if only because such a high-profile bout would have worked wonders for Crawford's rising superstar stock, especially if he had beaten Pacquiao.

Time will tell just how much of a superstar Crawford can become after his fight with Canelo. If he can overcome a size disadvantage and beat the Mexican icon, Crawford could very well become the next face of boxing.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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