During a current video interview Terence Crawford discusses not having the ability to protect the battle he was searching for versus Canelo Alvarez. Crawford offers his response and explains the hypocrisy and reasons originating from Canelo — all of which he takes as an indication of regard.

“To be honest, that was my motivation fight,” Crawford stated. “It’s insane and it makes me laugh with all the shenanigans that Canelo is doing and stating in the media and whatnot about the size and he won’t get no credit and all these kinds of things however Canelo been battling smaller sized guys his entire profession.

“Canelo been making his own catchweight for many years. Canelo combated a smaller sized Mayweather, Canelo combated a smaller sized Amir Khan. He combated Jermell Charlo. And I’m quite sure he didn’t make as much cash with all those guys — other than Mayweather — even Berlanga today, that he will with me…he has all these reasons why he don’t wish to make a battle with me.

“If it’s everything about company then you’re doing great company…if I’m simple work you would take all that cash that he’s providing you. But he desire $200M for Benavidez and he desire $150M to combat me. So that simply lets me understand right there that I’m a risk to him. I’m a risk to him, I’m a risk to his tradition, since it would be insane for a guy who began at 135 to come all the method as much as 168, your weight, no catchweight or none of that, and dismiss you.

“So he got that in the back of his head. ‘This guy, for one, he’s difficult, for 2 he’s a fighter, he moves, he can punch, he can do everything. I can’t mistake and lose to this guy, then what would my fans consider me? What would my Mexican individuals consider me?’ So it’s a huge threat for him like he stated. He don’t get absolutely nothing out of it however he does get a lot out of it. None of those guys were pound-for-pound finest fighter on the planet that he combated when he was showing up in weight.

“So it just goes to show the level of respect. I look at it as respect that he gives me, I don’t look at it as disrespect. I look at it as the level of respect he thinks of me as a fighter.”