Turki Alalshikh hints at Terence Crawford’s potential next opponent after title win

With Canelo now 35 and Crawford at 37, there were questions before the fight about whether either man would decide to walk away from the sport.

After securing the biggest win of his career, the American star was asked about his plans and said he would need some time to talk things over with his team before making any decisions. ‘Bud’ did not rule out retiring.

But Turki Alalshikh, seen by many as a key figure in boxing’s resurgence and also a co-owner of TKO Boxing, wasted little time in floating an idea for what could come next.

“Can David Benavidez still make 168lbs?” Turki posted on X.

David Benavidez’s last outing at super middleweight came back in 2023 when he defended his WBC interim belt against Demetrius Andrade.

After that win, Benavidez pushed hard for a fight with Canelo. When that bout did not materialise, he moved up to light heavyweight, where he has since captured a title.

Alalshikh’s idea for Crawford’s next opponent gets fans talking

While it might be a stretch to imagine Benavidez dropping back down to 168lbs, if anyone can pull it off, it is probably Alalshikh.

Fans did not waste any time weighing in on the potential matchup.

“Turki is really like us… a real boxing fan but with billions of dollars to make dream fights happen,” one person wrote on social media.

Another added: “That’s a great fight to continue the hype train. Bud would definitely beat Benavidez at 168lbs. He even has a shot to beat him at 175lbs.”

Someone else pitched an even bigger plan: “Turki, here is the plan. Crawford picks up a title at 160lbs. Then make the fight with (Dmitry) Bivol or whoever is current title holder at 175lbs. This would make Crawford only the 2nd seven weight world champion in the history of the sport and elevating into legitimate GOAT status.”

Crawford still has to decide if he wants another chapter in his career, or if this was his moment to walk away.