All fans ever wanted was for Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford to become a reality. A true clash of the best from two elite divisions! Now, with the bout officially set for September 13th (venue still TBD, though Las Vegas remains the frontrunner), excitement is sky-high. But what no one expected was the wave of updates shaking up the narrative before either man has stepped into the ring. The weight jump? Handled. Terence Crawford is moving up two divisions to fight as the underdog, despite not having fought in nearly a year, while Canelo Alvarez comes in sharp after a dominant win over William Scull and a reported $80 million payday. Now, Canelo Alvarez’s financials are secure, thanks to his four-fight, $400 million deal with Turki Alalshikh. But one thing wasn’t clear. How much is Bud Crawford getting paid?

Fans had long speculated about Crawford’s purse, assuming a blockbuster matchup like this would mean a massive payday. But recent reports suggest that the actual number might be far lower than expected. Just days ago, it was revealed that unbeaten contender Lester Martinez has already agreed to a contingency deal to step in if Crawford withdraws. And he’d be looking at a career-high $2 million payout. While that number turned heads, the real question is: what’s Crawford’s cut, and is it even close to what most believe a fight of this magnitude should command?

Just hours ago, @atsboxing shared a post on Instagram. “Bud is already thinking about becoming 4x Undisputed champion 🤯” the caption read. The post featured a clip from Terence Crawford’s sit-down interview with Ring Champs with Ak & Barak, where the undefeated boxer opened up about the stakes of his upcoming mega-fight with Canelo Alvarez. While reflecting on his legacy and career accomplishments, the conversation took a sharp turn when the topic of his fight purse came up.

“I just want to know what nuber makes sense for you. What’s fair?” AK asked, referring to Crawford’s September 13 showdown with Canelo Alvarez. Without hesitation, the Omaha native replied, “I got $10 million for that fight [with Canelo].” Barak couldn’t hold back his reaction, breaking into laughter, and AK immediately questioned the claim. “That’s a lie,” he said, prompting Crawford to fire back, “How do you know that’s lie?” When AK asked again if that figure was for fighting Canelo, Crawford confirmed, “Yeah.” What followed was Crawford’s explanation for accepting that purse. And why, for him, it’s about more than just the money.

“I’m doing it for the opportunity, baby. The legacy,” he said, brushing off the disbelief in the room. Though the hosts seemed skeptical, they couldn’t deny the respect that comes with a fighter putting legacy over dollars. “Legacy outweigh the money,” Crawford emphasized. “That’s true. I respect that,” AK replied. Crawford, clearly locked in, added, “3 times undisputed. Oooo…. we coming soon.” But the surprises didn’t stop there.

When asked if this fight could be his last, the 41-0 boxer didn’t confirm any retirement plans. In fact, he teased an even bigger goal. “[After] I might go back down to 154,” he said casually. When asked, “To fight who?” Crawford smirked and responded, “And do it again!”

Now, we don’t know whether Bud was being serious with those numbers for the Canelo Alvarez fight. However, if you go by the earlier reports, Bud Crawford’s actual payday was rumored to be a whopping $40 million more than what he just claimed in the interview.

Is Canelo Alvarez cashing in too big?

You see, Canelo Alvarez’s four-fight mega-deal with Riyadh Season has already positioned him among the top earners in combat sports, and some even believe he could rival global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of paydays. Naturally, curiosity around what Terence Crawford would earn in comparison quickly followed.

Fueling that curiosity even more, a viral post from @AdrianReyn79551 (aka ‘INEVITABLE/DBLOCK’) made the rounds online, featuring side-by-side images of both fighters. The caption read: “Canelo 👑 $150 Million Guaranteed Bud $50 Million Guaranteed 🤝💵.” While not officially confirmed, the numbers have sparked heated debate, especially since the fight is reportedly the first major event under a new boxing venture led by Turki Alalshikh and UFC President Dana White.

Interestingly, there are whispers that the bout might be streamed on Netflix, which would mark another significant step in the streaming giant’s growing presence in live sports. WWE, under the TKO Group, already kicked things off by debuting “Monday Night RAW” on the platform earlier this year. If these rumors prove true, it could signal a new era for how big-ticket boxing events are delivered to fans.

With that said, what’s your take? Are the reported numbers fitting for a fight of this magnitude? Or do they raise more eyebrows than they should?