Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez? That seemed more like a fantasy matchup, something along the hypothetical lines of Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Marvin Hagler, Floyd Mayweather vs. Sugar Ray Leonard, or Oleksandr Usyk vs. Muhammad Ali.

Those examples might be extreme but it seemed practically impossible for them to cross paths. Crawford though, began pushing for it.

Initially, Alvarez was incredulous by it but the dollar signs and history behind it made too much sense. So, at some point in September, Crawford will move up two full-weight classes and ask Alvarez to dance.

The emotions emanating from it have been mixed by the public. Some like it, others love it. Juan Manuel Marquez, however, isn’t a fan of it.

“I don’t like the fight,” Marquez told FightHub TV.

It hasn’t been officially announced just yet but Crawford vs. Alvarez is as good as done. First things first though, Alvarez has to take care of business against IBF belt holder, William Scull, as the headline bout of a DAZN PPV on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If he does come away with the win, the final piece of the undisputed puzzle will be in place. Crawford, in the meanwhile, will spend his time in the weight room, preparing to make his 168-pound debut.

Yet, no matter how many dumbbells he lifts and regardless of how sculpted and broader his shoulders become, all of it will be for nothing according to Marquez.

Crawford has always been a terrific fighter. Marquez watched as he dominated the competition at 135 pounds. He cheered Crawford on as he became an undisputed champion at 140. He was also proud of him for accomplishing the same feat at 147 pounds. He was even impressed at him grabbing a belt at 154 pounds but to take it a step further and dethrone Alvarez on his terms and under his rules? That’s taking things a bit too far.

“Terence Crawford was a good fighter at super lightweight and welterweight but in the sport of boxing, we have weight classes for a reason.”