Who you got? Naoya Inoue or Terence Crawford.

The imaginary, yet salient pound-for-pound number-one fighter in the world is currently an open debate. Of course, there are a few fighters that are shuffled into the mix.

Oleksandr Usyk, the heavyweight division’s unified champion, has always garnered consideration. So has Canelo Alvarez. But for the most part, the debate is between Crawford and Inoue.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev is somewhat close to the conversation. After all, Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) currently fights in his division and just ran through someone who beat Akhmadaliev in Marlon Tapales. It’s a tough call for the 28-year-old when asked to give his own opinion. He didn’t rush into giving his answer. He paused and thought long and hard before pontificating who he believes is the best fighter in the world.

“There’s no doubt that Inoue is a great fighter,” Akhmadaliev told BoxingScene.com. “But if I had to choose, I would choose Terence Crawford as the best pound-for-pound fighter.”

The two have a ton of differences between them. They compete in completely different weight classes, are from two different sides of the earth, and fight nothing alike. They recently did, however, make history.

Crawford’s cataclysmic knockout win over Errol Spence Jr. last year crowned him as the first male to become undisputed in two weight classes. Inoue recently joined him a few weeks ago after grabbing every title in the super bantamweight division.

Moving up in weight has been practically a walk in the park for the Japanese star. Still, even with no one being able to take him down, Akhmadaliev has a hard time putting Inoue above Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) on his pound-for-pound rankings.

“He has more tools than anyone else,” continued Akhmadaliev. “He has probably the highest ring IQ and he proves it in the ring against the best. He’s that great.”

Three-weight world champion Terence Crawford (40-0) is reportedly looking at making a fight with WBO super welterweight titleholder Tim Tszyu (24-0).

According to Crawford’s trainer, Bernie Davis, the undefeated 36-year-old is eyeing off a world title in a fourth division, with Australia’s Tszyu at the top of his hitlist.

Tszyu, 29, announced himself to the world with victories over Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo, seeing him elevated to world champion with the WBO after Jermell Charlo was stripped of the belt, before defending the title against Brian Mendoza in a busy 2023.

Crawford had seemingly been waiting for a contracted rematch with Errol Spence to be arranged, although the latter’s recent cataract surgery has sidelined those plans, while some have been calling for “Bud” to take on Jaron “Boots” Ennis in a welterweight unification bout.

Tim Tszyu the ‘right one’ for Terence Crawford’s next fight

Speaking on MillCity Boxing, Davis said a fight with Sydneysider Tszyu was currently the frontrunner.

“I think Tszyu will be the right one since we can’t get Spence,” Davis said.

“We want to move up and still make history, still have something to get up for and even though ‘Boots’ is an attractive option, I think Tszyu just edges him a little bit.

“I think Tszyu fought the better competition, I think he’s been looking more spectacular in his fights and he got the country [Australia] behind him.

“Plus, he has something that we want. It’s another weight class to jump and it’s another something to aspire to.

“So that’s where I would think we would land.”

Sporting News can confirm the interest in a fight with Crawford is also concrete on Tszyu’s side, although the Aussie will likely have at least one fight before then.

Davis also poured cold water over possible matchups with Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez, while adding he’d like to see Jermell Charlo “get himself together” before a possible bout with Crawford.

“This guy Tszyu’s coming off some big wins,” he said.

“Beating Mendoza who was coming off a big win and is kind of a seasoned fighter, he been at the world level and Tszyu got the country behind him, been looking good technically, been looking better every fight… and he got the belt.”

Tszyu is currently attempting to line up a bout in Las Vegas in late March, with former world title challenger Erickson Lubin the likely opponent.

After an eye-catching 12 months, and with Charlo absent and facing assault charges, Tszyu has become the man to beat at 154-pounds and recently responded to a callout from the returning Vergil Ortiz, confirming his interest in a clash with the Texan knockout artist.

Crawford hasn’t fought since his July demolition of Spence which made him undisputed in a second weight class and cemented his status as arguably the sport’s pound-for-pound number one.

A fight between the pair in Australia, where Tszyu is wildly popular, could almost certainly sell out a stadium.

What happens when a boxing legend speaks his mind on dream matchups? Imagine the buzz in the boxing community. Hall of Famer Andre Ward recently unleashed a series of electrifying potential fights on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast. But what exactly did he say? Who did he pick to face off in the ring?

Terence Crawford: Andre Ward won’t bet against him

Diving right into the heart of the matter, Andre Ward’s conversation on ‘All The Smoke‘ podcast radiates with excitement and insight. When the host asked him about, “What fight do the world need?”, he started off with a compelling statement, “Oh man that’s a good one.” This prefaces his keen perspective on boxing’s future marquee matchups. Ward explicitly states, “I want to see Canelo, I wouldn’t mind Canelo fighting Terence or Benavidez.” His choice of Canelo Alvarez, a renowned figure in the sport, immediately grabs attention.

Seamlessly, he shifts focus, “You got two options, you can go somebody in your weight class or you could try to pick on the smaller guy Terence Crawford.” Here, Ward highlights the strategic aspect of choosing opponents. His confidence in Terence Crawford shines through as he asserts, “I’m not betting against Terence right now, against nobody, nobody not doing it.”

Moreover, Ward doesn’t just stop there. He expands his vision, “I would love to see Tank fight Shakur or Devin.” Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, another celebrated boxer, is brought into the mix, pitted against either Shakur Stevenson or Devin Haney. Ward acknowledges the timing, “I know that’s probably a little early, a little bit more seasoning I think that’ll make the the most sense from a financial standpoint.”

From sparring to spotlight: Ward envisions Tank vs. Shakur

The conversation takes another intriguing turn when the host expresses, “I want to see Tank-Shakur. That’s the fight.” Ward agrees but adds a twist about Terence Crawford, known as ‘Bud’, “And they didn’t rumble a lot in sparring. You know but I really want to see Bud go out the way he want to go out.” He then poses a thought-provoking scenario involving a rematch between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr., “So they can run that back but if they don’t I would love to see Bud get Canelo and then ride off in the sunset.”

Each statement by Ward not only reveals potential blockbuster fights but also demonstrates his deep understanding of the sport’s dynamics. The conversation, rich in possibilities, leaves fans and experts alike pondering the future of boxing. His insightful picks for matchups, ranging from Canelo’s challenging fights to Crawford’s potential grand finale, highlight a deep understanding of the sport’s dynamics and its stars’ capabilities.

Will these dream bouts become a reality? How will they reshape the narratives of these celebrated fighters? What epic showdown would you like to see in the boxing ring?

Teofimo Lopez is an ambitious guy. He always has been and always will be. His confidence might be a bit over the top but so far, it’s all worked.

Beating Vasiliy Lomachenko when he was the consensus best fighter in the world wasn’t a pragmatic move but Lopez was convinced that he could get the job done. After doing what many believed was impossible, Lopez made it two in a row when he took Josh Taylor behind the woodshed in mid-2023.

Now, Lopez has another target…Terence Crawford. Although he’s viewed as a future Hall of Famer and the best fighter on the planet, according to many, Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) believes that he can give him a run for his money.

Bill Haney has paid close attention to Lopez’s brazen trash talk. While it might be entertaining to some, Haney didn’t find anything funny about it.

“Teofimo Lopez, if you don’t knock it off,” said Haney during a self-recorded video. “Talking about you want Bud Crawford.”

A matchup with Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is what Lopez wants but it doesn’t make any sense to Bill. Devin Haney, his son and slick-hitting star, currently holds a world title in the same weight class as Lopez after picking Regis Prograis a part.

The Haney’s are all about big matchups and even bigger paydays. A fight with Lopez would present them with both. Bill knows that Lopez will continue to do what he wants. With that said, he should simply leave Crawford alone and focus on a showdown against his son instead.

“Listen, act like you got some sense and we can make Haney vs. Lopez for the 140-pound unification. Act like you got some sense and stop talking about Bud Crawford. You don’t want none of Bud Crawford and you don’t deserve none. Knock it off.”

Undisputed world champion in the welterweight category, famous American boxer Terence Crawford said that he may end his professional career.

Crawford last fought against Errol Spence in July 2023 in Las Vegas. Terence won that fight by technical knockout in the ninth round and became the undisputed world champion in the welterweight division. He has 40 wins (31 by knockout) and no losses.

Despite still revelling in the performance of his career, Terence Crawford has hinted that he could hang up the gloves.

The welterweight from Omaha, Nebraska is a two-division undisputed champion. Back in July, he competed in what many people are calling the Fight of the Year, with Crawford himself being crowned by plenty as the Fighter of the Year for the way he so stylishly dispatched the challenge of fellow unbeaten world champion Errol Spence Jr.

There is a contracted rematch that has not yet officially materialised which has left Crawford weighing up his options having also been the four-belt champion down at super lightweight back in August 2017.

He has been linked with fights with a wide array of fighters, most notably Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, although the difference in weight classes makes that one all but an impossibility, and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, who he has been quick to dismiss.

In a new post on X, Crawford has said he might have one more, but he might not.

It seems Crawford feels under-appreciated for his work even despite topping many pound-for-pound lists.

That is not the view of Teofimo Lopez, however, who has knocked Crawford’s resume this week and called it overrated as well as calling out ‘Bud’ for a fight. Crawford was quick to respond and call Lopez ‘a p***y.’

As for his next fight, he also hinted recently that it may be off the table.