Eddie Hearn’s Prediction: Israil Madrimov To KO Crawford, Shattering Title Hopes

Promoter Eddie Hearn predicts WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov will KO highly rated pound-for-pound fighter Terence Crawford on August 3rd in their fight in Los Angeles.

If Hearn’s prediction comes true, that would spoil Crawford’s plans of becoming undisputed at 154 and then moving up to 168 to fight three-belt super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

The Perils of Jumping Weight Classes

It would be pretty jarring for Crawford to lose in his first fight at 154, but it would show that weight classes exist for a reason. If a fighter moves up too many weight classes, they will eventually hit their ceiling and come to a crashing halt.

Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is moving up to 154, intending to become the undisputed champion in a third weight class, but he may be finally facing someone he can’t beat.

If Crawford weren’t in such a mad rush, he would take his time by moving up to 154 and fighting one of the contenders like Josh Kelly, Xander Zayas, Erickson Lubin, or Vergil Ortiz. If Crawford beat two or three of those fighters, he would be ready to challenge Madrimov.

Is Madrimov Crawford’s Kryptonite?

Choosing Madrimor (10-0-1, 7 KOs) for his first fight at 154 suggests to some that he views him as an easy mark, and he could be in for a big surprise.

Crawford, a Nebraska native, will be coming off a 13-month layoff. He was 37 a month after his fight with Madrimov in September. In terms of boxing skills, Crawford is likely better than Madrimov, but not when you factor in age, power, and experience in the weight class.

Madrimov, 29, is younger, with a bigger frame, and he’s more powerful than Crawford, Also, this is Madrimov’s weight class.

Crawford’s inactivity is bad enough, but being older and not getting experience in the 154-lb weight class before challenging Madrimov could be a recipe for disaster.

Crawford is basically cutting corners. He’s choosing not to test the waters at junior middleweight to better prepare himself for this fight because his confidence has run amok.

“Israil Madrimov is going knock Crawford out on August 3rd,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Secondsout, picking WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov to defeat challenger Terence Crawford by knockout on August 3rd in Los Angeles.