Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley Jr has predicted the outcome of a potential super-middleweight clash between Terence Crawford and David Benavidez.
‘Bud’ Crawford made history once again last month when he defeated Canelo Alvarez to capture the undisputed super-middleweight championship and become the first male fighter to achieve undisputed status in three separate divisions.
As for Benavidez, the unbeaten 28-year-old from Phoenix reigned as the WBC world super-middleweight champion on two occasions between 2017 and 2020, although he made the move up to 175lbs last year where he currently holds the WBC world title.
Reports have suggested that Crawford and Benavidez could actually face each other at super-middleweight in the future, although it remains to be seen whether there is any truth to these rumours.
Speaking on his own Youtube channel, two-weight world champion Bradley shared his verdict on a potential match-up between Crawford and Benavidez, as he claims he would ‘never’ bet against ‘Bud’.
“Even if Benavidez fought at Super Middleweight, he still wouldn’t beat Crawford. No, he wouldn’t beat Crawford.
Shakur was right. He’s always said it — Benavidez can’t beat him. But size — that’s his thing. He knows how to use his frame and apply pressure. Still, he makes a lot of mistakes. Someone with the kind of complexity Crawford has will see all those mistakes and make him pay for them. The key is to keep punishing him for those errors. I would never bet against Crawford because I know what that man is made of.”
Whilst Crawford is expected to take some time away from the sport following his historic victory over Canelo, Benavidez is set to make his long-awaited return to the ring next month as he gears up to make the first defence of his WBC light-heavyweight title against Anthony Yarde on Novemver 22.
