LOS ANGELES – Terence Crawford believes he’ll be on the pantheon of pugilistic greats if he gets past Canelo Alvarez.


“I'm the biggest fight [left for Alvarez],” Crawford told The Ring during an extensive and exclusive interview. “I'm not going to say if – but when I beat Canelo Alvarez, I think I'll be a top three pound-for-pound fighter of all time with Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. I don't think these spots will ever be taken. I think Canelo is up there with the all-time greats, too.


“I already look at myself as an all-time great. To move up, [two] weight classes, and dethrone the soon-to-be undisputed 168-pound champion without even stepping foot in that weight class, or the weight class below – it's like some Henry Armstrong stuff. It's going to be amazing. They always say, 'You'll never see a great small guy beat a great big guy.' And I want to change that narrative.”


Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) and Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) are slated to meet for a super fight in September, which by then could be for the undisputed 168-pound title if Alvarez beats William Scull in the main event of a DAZN PPV on May 3.

Both fighters are accomplished four-division champions, widely regarded as two of the top pound-for-pound boxers of the post-Floyd Mayweather Jr. era.

Over his 20-year career, the 34-year-old Alvarez has claimed titles across four weight classes: 154, 160, 168, and 175 pounds.

Crawford, now 37 and 17 years into his career, has won titles at lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, and junior middleweight divisions. He was crowned undisputed champion at both 140 and 147 pounds and is currently the WBA champion at 154 pounds.

“Me and Canelo, it's going to be a tough fight – for both of us,” said Crawford. “But at the same time, I don't know. [I felt the same way going into the Errol Spence fight]. I can't give a blind judgement if that's going to be the toughest fight of my career. Just like with Canelo. We all know Canelo is great. He is big. He is strong. He has good timing. He has good punching power. He moves his head well. He is a good counter-puncher. We know all of that about Canelo.


“But we've never seen Terence Crawford at 168. So we don't know. We don't know if Terence Crawford can take his punching power. We don't know if Canelo can box toe to toe with me. We don't know if Canelo is going to be able to push me around. We think Canelo is going to walk me down because he's been in the weight class longer than me. But in reality, we don't know.


“That's why two fighters fight. I am just excited to be in a position to have the opportunity to be in the ring with another all-time great. It's going to be an exciting fight. I’m looking forward to it and I am looking forward to winning.”


Manouk Akopyan is a lead writer for The Ring. He can be reached on X and Instagram @ManoukAkopyan.