Teofimo Lopez backs one of the Four Kings to defeat Terence Crawford in a prime-for-prime welterweight battle.
‘Bud’ called time on his Hall of Fame-worthy career in December, just a few months removed from his unanimous decision victory over Canelo Alvarez.
Despite being made a pre-fight underdog, Crawford was able to dethrone the more natural super-middleweight to become a three-division undisputed champion.
His best performances arguably came at 147lbs, though, as the American scored seven straight stoppages before orchestrating a ninth-round finish over Errol Spence Jr in July 2023.
This victory alone has inspired many to compare Crawford with other welterweight greats, including the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Ray Leonard.
A particularly intriguing fantasy matchup, however, would be between the masterful switch-hitter and Thomas Hearns, who challenged Leonard for the WBC welterweight title in 1981.
Despite suffering a 14th-round stoppage defeat, ‘The Hitman’ was leading on all three judges’ scorecards and would eventually rematch Leonard in 1989, only for their super-middleweight contest to end in a controversial draw.
Standing at 6ft 1in, there are few that could have gotten the better of Hearns between 147 and 168lbs, where his only other defeats came against Marvin Hagler and Iran Barkley.
It is perhaps this size advantage that has inspired Lopez to favour Hearns over Crawford while speaking with Daily Mail Sport.
But it was also the jab of Hearns – a shot refined under the tutelage of Emanuel Steward – that could have posed problems for Crawford, whose 75in reach otherwise represented a key advantage throughout his illustrious career.
