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Andreas Hale
Terence Crawford is daring to be great by jumping up two weight classes to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas. If successful, the move would put Crawford on the shortlist as one of the best — if not the best — boxers of this generation.
Who else in the sport would benefit by moving up for bigger and better fights?
We’ve identified seven boxers who would gain the most from moving up a weight class (or two) for bigger opportunities. Some are obvious and have been discussed in the past, while others would raise a few eyebrows should the fighter decide the bump in weight is worth the challenge.
Canelo Alvarez
Current weight class: 168 pounds
Proposed new weight class: 175 pounds
If Canelo can turn back the challenge of Crawford next month, he has nothing left to do at 168 pounds aside from a fight with Hamzah Sheeraz, in which the risk isn’t quite worth the reward. He has already dared to be great in 2022, when he attempted to become a light heavyweight titleholder in a loss against Dmitry Bivol. But the light heavyweight landscape has become even more intriguing with the arrival of David Benavidez. Of course, Canelo could also go after Artur Beterbiev or a rematch with Bivol. But if he truly wanted to silence the naysayers, he’d finally fight Benavidez in what would be a massive showdown between Mexican fighters.
Jai Opetaia
Current weight class: 200 pounds
Proposed new weight class: heavyweight
Opetaia has clobbered the cruiserweight competition and his last challenge is a fight with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. If the Australian slugger wants to make waves, he’ll do what Oleksandr Usyk did and make the climb to heavyweight, where the opponents are far more attractive. Fights with Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr. are all fun propositions, but how about a fight with Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and current undisputed heavyweight champ? That’s a fight that Usyk may hang around to take before retiring.
Teofimo Lopez
Current weight class: 140 pounds
Proposed new weight class: 147/154 pounds
Lopez is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world when he’s locked in. He’s a big junior welterweight, and a jump to 147 pounds would set him up for a fight with the winner of Brian Norman Jr. vs. Devin Haney on Nov. 22. Lopez and Haney have exchanged words in the past, and Norman’s power would make a showdown with “The Takeover” a fascinating fight. But why stop at 147 pounds? Lopez is brash enough to jump two weight classes for a fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. He called Ennis out after dominating Arnold Barboza Jr. in May, and with “Boots” making the move to 154 pounds against Uisma Lima on Oct. 11, Lopez could give chase. It’s the kind of fight that would separate two-division champion Lopez from his peers, should he be the first to put a blemish on Ennis’ undefeated record.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis
Current weight class: 135 pounds
Proposed new weight class: 147 pounds
“Tank” is one of the biggest stars in boxing, but he hasn’t faced a marquee opponent yet. A move from 135 to 147 makes a ton of sense, considering the names that would await him. While a fight with the winner of Norman. vs. Haney would be tantalizing, the real draw would be a showdown with the legendary Manny Pacquiao. Given that Pacquiao battled Mario Barrios — who was knocked out by Davis in 2021 — to a controversial draw in July, there’s still some juice in the Filipino Hall of Famer that makes a fight with Davis worth the squeeze. Pacquiao’s manager, Sean Gibbons, said a fight with Davis is on their radar, too. A fight between these past and present greats would likely be a major draw.
Shakur Stevenson
Current weight class: 135 pounds
Proposed new weight class: 140 pounds
Stevenson’s boxing brilliance has made it tough for him to land matchups with marquee names in his weight class. He doesn’t appear to be in the running to fight Davis anytime soon, and Floyd Schofield might not be worth the risk. Instead, Stevenson is going to have to chase down the bigger names in boxing, and a leap to 140 pounds would net him opportunities against Lopez, Richardson Hitchins and Subriel Matias. Stevenson is the best pure boxer in the sport but is going to need to make a move to get the recognition he deserves against some of boxing’s bigger draws.
Junto Nakatani
Current weight class: 118 pounds
Proposed new weight class: 122 pounds
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Junto Nakatani KOs David Cuellar in 3rd round to retain bantamweight title
Junto Nakatani knocks down David Cuellar twice in the third round for the KO win to retain the bantamweight title.
This move has long been rumored and is the most likely to come to fruition. In what would easily be the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history, Nakatani can make the jump to 122 pounds to challenge Naoya Inoue in a battle of ESPN’s No. 10 and No. 2 pound-for-pound boxers, respectively. The two fighters have already verbally agreed to face each other in 2026, although the weight class has yet to be determined. “Big Bang” has been a weight class behind Inoue in his pursuit to topple “The Monster” and become the biggest boxing star in Japan. All they need to do is stay the course, and this fight is in the bag.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Current weight class: 115 pounds
Proposed new weight class: 122 pounds
Rodriguez, 25, is ESPN’s No. 5-ranked pound-for-pound boxer in the world. The two-division world champion is still not quite the star he could be, in large part because he is competing in smaller weight classes. If “Bam” were to make the move from 115 pounds to 122 pounds, he could meet Inoue in a battle of devastating finishers. At a combined 52-0 with 42 knockouts between them, it would undoubtedly be an all-action battle that would likely end up on the short list for Fight of the Year.