Terence Crawford finally gets his flowers, just as he enters his final act

HOLLYWOOD, California – Terence Crawford is finally getting his flowers. 

The red carpet has been rolled out for the pound-for-pound king in a way that Crawford has never experienced before as he heads into a Saturday night showdown against Israil Madrimov, aiming to become a four-division champion. 

The fight will take place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and headline Riyadh Season’s boxing debut in the United States. Officials have prepared plenty of pomp and circumstance for the event, supported by a stacked undercard and a 30-minute performance by “Rap God” Eminem. 

Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is currently considered the Supreme Being of boxing, coming into the fight as a former undisputed champion at 140 and 147 pounds and with sights set on accomplishing the same feat at 154. 

Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), the WBA titleholder, is perceived as another bump on the road to glory. 

To mark the occasion of Crawford’s continued ascent, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, has seemingly made it his personal passion project to honor, recognize and handsomely reward Crawford for being a generational great. 

The fight week build-up has been complemented by a public workout and free boxing show at the Santa Monica Pier, a world-famous tourist attraction. Crawford came out to Eminem’s song “Role Model” and lightly shadowboxed.  

On Thursday, Crawford and Madrimov were the main attraction at a press conference held outside of the historic Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Crawford emerged under Eminem’s anthem “Lose Yourself” the same way he did last summer when he dominated Errol Spence Jr. for a legacy-defining win to secure the undisputed welterweight title. 

From airports to hotels, high-rise buildings, billboards, taxis and street teams promoting the show, Crawford’s likeness has been front and center around Tinseltown’s hot spots all week, as event organizers worked to fill up the downtown soccer stadium and home to LAFC with close to 22,000 fans.

After ticket prices were adjusted and discounts were made available throughout fight week, Alalshikh announced on Friday that the show was sold out.

The planned marketing blitz was a necessary move since the mild-mannered Crawford is fighting for the first time in California and isn’t necessarily a household name with casual and common sports fans like Floyd Mayweather Jr. was before him.

“[Crawford is] a true megastar and the No. 1 pound-for-pound, very excited for the business opportunities ahead,” said Alalshikh.

Alalshikh’s warm embrace has been a welcome development for Crawford following the struggles he endured with career-long promoter Top Rank to evolve into a mainstream star soon after establishing himself as a hometown hero in Omaha, Nebraska. Alalshikh has even appointed Crawford as an ambassador to support Saudi Arabia’s push toward attracting tourists, adding that he’ll do everything in his power to present to Crawford a clash with super middleweight king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

A fulfilled and content Crawford can now finally turn the page for the final chapter of his Hall of Fame-bound career as he continues his quest to make more history. 

“Everything happens for a reason,” Crawford said during the pre-fight promotion he has historically preferred to sidestep. “God did not bless me to have it then, but he blessed me to have it now, when I am more mature and laid-back and can handle everything that comes my way.

“Who knows where Terence Crawford would have been if he got everything that he wanted when he was younger and immature?”

A prolific switch-hitting boxer-puncher, Crawford has handled all of the obstacles throughout his career with relative ease. He is coming into the clash sporting an 11-fight stoppage streak, and DraftKings lists him as a -700 betting favorite to beat Madrimov. 

“I’m ready to fight,” said Crawford. “All of my people always try to remind me to enjoy the moment, because one day all of this is going to be gone. Embrace it while you can, embrace the love, and give it back. 

“I’m feeling good. I am feeling great. I’m more dangerous at 36 than 26. … I know this is where I was supposed to be a long time ago.” 

Crawford’s longtime coach Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, the 2023 BWAA Trainer of the Year, is also embracing the newfound adulation and appreciation for his charge. 

“This is how you’re supposed to promote fights – it’s outstanding,” McIntyre told BoxingScene. “It makes a fighter fight better because they are getting their dues. 

“We’ve been saying all along that Bud is the best fighter in the world, but nobody wanted to give us our flowers, so we had to go there and take it.”

Although Hearn is backing Madrimov, he has also been tasked with revealing the occasionally thorny Crawford’s layers. 

“Terence Crawford is a big personality,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “He’s a winner. He’s funny. And sometimes you have to showcase that. Hopefully, we have done that a little bit this week, and we’ll continue promoting him and make him as big as we can.” 

Hearn and Crawford got into it on Sunday during their initial meeting in Southern California. Hearn claimed Crawford was nervous and said he had gone soft since making more money. Crawford quipped he was better than Hearn at everything except talking a big game, and reminded him that he was undefeated (4-0) against Hearn fighters.

Hearn’s rebuttal was that he would beat Crawford at darts. 

It turns out Crawford was superior on that front as well.

“He’s a real frustrating guy,” Hearn said at the Thursday press conference. “He’s so good – he even beat me at darts the other day, which is even more disturbing. I feel like he should be an American superstar. He’s everything that is great about sports and competition, mindset and preparation, and living life like a true great. We should appreciate him while he is here. He’s like Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, and Sugar Ray Leonard. He’s at that level. He will be remembered as a true great of the sport.” 

Despite the deft challenges the decorated Madrimov can present, the matchup against the amateur standout falls short of the rematch Crawford was anticipating against Spence over the last year.

Should Crawford beat Madrimov, the 2016 Olympics silver medalist from Uzbekistan would be added to the short list of top opponents “Bud” has blasted, which includes Spence, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook, Amir Khan, Jeff Horn, Viktor Postol and Ricky Burns.

“I know for sure [Madrimov] has never faced a fighter like me, who can do multiple things and switch up a game plan in the blink of an eye,” said Crawford. “I told him, ‘Once you get comfortable, you will make mistakes – that’s when I capitalize.’

“People are forgetting I’m strong and punch hard, too. People keep thinking this whole fight, he’s the bigger guy and stronger guy since I’m moving up in weight. We always have these same questions in other fights against bigger guys, but when they get in the ring with me, I’m stronger than they thought.”

Crawford masterfully outmuscled and answered the incessant questions of superiority against Spence almost a year ago to the date, dropping the Texan three times and stopping him in the ninth round in a stunning display of one-sided savagery. Despite the blockbuster success of that yearslong-anticipated attraction, Bud believes the matchup against Madrimov is even more meaningful. 

“To be honest, this feels bigger than the Errol Spence fight,” said Crawford. “If you look around, it’s different, with so many different races and cultures. The Errol Spence fight was big for the urban community because it was something that was talked about for five years.

“But come Saturday, I have a treat for y’all. This is the Terence Crawford Era, and I am taking that belt. The naysayers [keep me motivated] – the ones that say I am old. I am just so competitive. When I think I reached my ceiling, there is always that extra push to do something I have never done before.” 

Crawford will turn 37 in September, and a pool of palatable opponents like Spence, Jaron Ennis, Jermell Charlo, Tim Tszyu, Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Sebastian Fundora await at 154 pounds. 

Crawford already reeled in the “Big Fish” that was Spence, but everything will come up roses if he manages to bait and bring in Alvarez, boxing’s biggest whale.

Perhaps by then Crawford will be ready to call it a career. 

“The journey has been a struggle at times,” said McIntyre.

“I think we have two or three more fights. It all depends on where Bud wants to go. Let him pick and choose the fights he wants. He just has to keep on winning, take these guys out and we’ll ride off into the sunset.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.