Should Bud take a fight at 168 vs Ryder or Plant?

Nobody is paying to make those fights happen

Absolutely not. It's not like he's gonna go there to campaign at that weight. One and done for huge money and he retires.

People love to get ahead of themselves. Let Crawford do his thing at 154 first, before you ask him to go up 3 divisions, eh? Same thing with Inoue. Let him demonstrate his dominance at 122, 126, & 130 before making up stupid things like fighting Tank at 135.

No.....................

appreciate all the comments, rare to see a thread on NSB where there isn't any hate going around

Jermell 154 Jermall, Adames or Lara at 160 Canelo at 168 or a catchweight.

Too risky to fight anther 168lbs fighter. Bud is better off fighting Tszyu for the WBO 154lbs belt, that way he keeps two potential avenues to become a three division undisputed champion. Jermell at 154lbs and Canelo at 168lbs. It would be crazy if he somehow he got a chance to fight for both undisputed titles.

I don't think you're understanding me if Bud wants the fight bad enough and Canelo tells him, before negotiations begin, that he needs to prove himself at the weight to get a Canelo fight, you're saying Bud walks away? I don't think he has to do all that. He has to fight Spence 1st. Then he can call for his 154 shot at Tim, who is young, strong and a good puncher with maybe 160 power, probably better than Sweet Cheeks. The time table here is about 1 yr or just over. Now, he just has to go up to about 162-63 for Canelo. The fight is about his ability to move skill and his punching technique which is where I think he power comes from. I think this is a situation like RJJ going to HW. Canelo is good but elite boxers give him all kinds of trouble. It's a hard call. He is too old from playing around with PBC and Spence for 5 yrs and Charlo vacating to try and collect all the 154 belts for a 3rd undisputed. No one unified for relevant at 160. So it might be Canelo or bust!

Crawford should not take this fight to begin with. But with amount of money he would stand to make it is understandable why he would. Him being a little taller and more reach makes it only a disadvantage of weight and mass. Against someone like Plant or most other 168lbers he is giving up not only weight, but height and reach as well. No matter how skilled you are that is difficult to overcome when other "ranked and really good" fighters have all three of those advantages over you. Taking what on paper is a likely L to Canelo is easier for the media and majority of fans to accept with grace. Taking a loss to someone else in the division would hurt his reputation (even though it shouldn't). Using Ryder as an example he was outclassed by Canelo but he has put competitive (and arguably won) fights against solid competition at 168 so he in guaranteed walk in the park for someone coming up that much in weight.

These are independent business negotiations he can't make Bud do or not do anything. If I were Bud I'd just tell him to kick rocks and make it public that he's trying to duck poor little me by creating problems that don't exist. I don't think you're understanding me if Bud wants the fight bad enough and Canelo tells him, before negotiations begin, that he needs to prove himself at the weight to get a Canelo fight, you're saying Bud walks away?

The answer is no. He has nothing to prove against them. Moreover, he has nothing prove against Canelo Alvarez. Bud Crawford is already undefeated and the best P4P fighter in the world.

It would be stupid to risk getting beat for peanuts by someone else at 168 when he could get beat by Canelo and make bank. Good post, spot on, nuff said and END THREAD!

Bud shouldn't go up to 168 regardless. Everytime you go up in weight you'll lose something. Crawford will be sluggish and drained. He should settle for conquering the 154 division.

It would be stupid to risk getting beat for peanuts by someone else at 168 when he could get beat by Canelo and make bank. if canelo sets up a road block like making him win at least 1 fight at 168, then Bud would have no choice are you saying Canelo wouldn't do that?

if the money is right, canelo will fight crawford.. canelo is just saying that crawford is too small so even if he beat crawford he will not get the credit for it as an excuse, but if the money is right, he'll fight crawford... i mean he fought khan of all people.