Claressa Shields gives honest verdict on potential mega fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford

The possible clash between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford remains one of the biggest and most lucrative showdowns that can be made in boxing.

Both elite level operators have captivated fans with their dazzling performances and astonishing achievements, cementing their place in the pound-for-pound top ten rankings.

For Canelo Alvarez, a win over Bud would enhance his legacy as one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time, after already enjoying an undisputed reign at super middleweight.

Terence Crawford, too, has an opportunity to remove any doubts over his resume, looking to become one of just a few five-weight world champions in boxing history.

Claressa Shields favors Terence Crawford over David Benavidez to beat Canelo Alvarez

While many boxing aficionados are keen to see Canelo take on Crawford, fans of David Benavidez would argue that the 34-year-old is swerving his toughest opponent.

‘The Monster Bandera Roja’ boasts a formidable 82 percent knockout ratio, and remains unbeaten after becoming a two-time WBC super middleweight world champion.

However, after years of expressing his desire to face Canelo in an all-Mexican dustup, Benevidez has now opted to campaign up at light heavyweight, where he comes off a comprehensive points victory over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

But still, while he is seemingly gearing up to face unbeaten Cuban David Morrell in a compelling matchup, many believe that the 27-year-old has the beating of Alvarez.

Women’s boxing icon Claressa Shields, though, is more confident in Crawford’s chances against the pay-per-view star.

“David [Benavidez] is a different type of animal, it’s a fight I wanna see,” Shields told Fight Hub TV.

“But I still think the only man that can beat Canelo is Terence Crawford. That’s just what I think, and I want to see it.”

Who will Terence Crawford fight next?

While the Canelo fight represents his ultimate goal, Crawford is still most likely considering alternative options before concluding his decorated career.

With the 36-year-old coming off a unanimous decision victory over former WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov, it is perhaps worth targeting the remaining champions in his division.

Bakhram Murtazaliev comes off a destructive finish over Tim Tszyu, dispatching the Australian in more devastating fashion than Sebastian Fundora.

But regardless of their respective performances, the pair would both make for intriguing matchups against Crawford.