All of the highlights Terence Crawford has provided while building his 40-0 record and standing as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters are fresh in the memory bank.
His sudden reaction to learning he was down on the ESPN scorecard and then knocking out Shawn Porter. His battering of Errol Spence Jr. to become undisputed welterweight champion one year ago. And so many more to come…
But Crawford is 36 now, coming off a year-long layoff, moving up in weight and now meeting an unbeaten World Boxing Association junior-middleweight champion in Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov who’s saying, “This is my division.”
“Crawford just constantly looks unbeatable. There’s so many layers to his style and in each (southpaw and orthodox) stance,” ProBox TV’s Paulie Malignaggi said as the cast broke down the Aug. 3 matchup between Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) and 29-year-old Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) on Wednesday’s episode of “Deep Waters.” “He’s amazing in all aspects. That’s why he’s the best fighter in the world right now.
“But at the age he’s fighting, you’ve got to go one fight to the next. It happens at this age, and you wonder. Crawford could step in the ring and maybe it’s not the same Crawford.”
While Malignaggi clarified that until any slippage is seen, the expectation is that it will be the same ol’ Crawford.
“But the reason I bring that up is because Madrimov is no slouch. He’s a guy who can make you look bad.”
Madrimov-Crawford tops the Riyadh Season-promoted stacked card coming to the LAFC soccer stadium in Los Angeles. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz defends his 140-pound belt in the co-main, former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. meets veteran Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, and gifted contenders Jared Anderson, David Morrell and Andy Cruz are also on the card.
Crawford’s main event “is a big threat … (Madrimov) is physically strong, super athletic, very confident saying, ‘This is my weight class.’ He’s a guy who wants to defend what he’s got.”
Madrimov appeared on the show, telling BoxingScene of the story in his Indio, Calif., gym of how he helped train light-heavyweight Dmitrii Bivol for his 2022 upset of Canelo Alvarez.
With Crawford seeking an Alvarez fight in victory, Madrimov said he’s taken heart that he can change boxing’s storyline, as well.
“Gym culture is really important. It seems Madrimov is in over his head, but it seems he has the right answers and the right culture to be prepared for the moment, to be prepared and bring the best version of himself,” former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri said on “Deep Waters.”
“He’s very much a threat to even the great Terence Crawford.”
Hall of Fame former two-division champion Timothy Bradley Jr. formerly trained with Madrimov trainer Joel Diaz down the road in Indio, where Crawford first entered and mightily impressed before becoming a lightweight champion.
Knowing Crawford well, Bradley said Madrimov’s best chance is to “land on Crawford early,” at a time when the three-division champion usually reserves to download information from his opponent.
“I wonder with Crawford if he gets touched, how he’s going to react,” Bradley said. “You have to be explosive and athletic to deal with Crawford. The thing with Madrimov is he gets reckless. You can’t get reckless against Terence Crawford.”
Will Crawford be looking past Madrimov to the Canelo showdown that Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh has suggested?
“Not at all,” Algieri said. “He understands what’s in front of him and he understands he’s at the tail end of his career. He’s a dead-focused guy who lives in the gym.
“I can see Crawford figuring him out and getting a late stoppage.”
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