A nervous and agitated-looking Terence Crawford traded trash talk with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn going into Saturday’s battle against WBA junior Middleweight champion Israil Madrimov at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Crawford’s Anxious Energy Raises Concerns
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) looked hype-anxious during the talk, which Hearn pointed out. This could signal that Crawford realizes what he’s up against fighting Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs).
There were some nerves with Crawford because, as Hearn points out, this was the hardest fight of his 16-year career. There’s no one else on Crawford’s resume that compares to Madrimov.
Terence is on the wrong side of 30, coming off a 13-month victory lap and moving up to a new weight class at 154 to take on the biggest puncher of his career.
He’s not a young cub anymore, and he’s facing a young, ambitious fighter who wants to use him as a launching pad to superstardom. A victory for Madrimov on Saturday night could make him a star overnight.
Canelo Payday Hangs in the Balance
On top of that, Crawford has that Canelo golden parachute retirement payday dangling overhead if Crawford loses to Madrimov. Goodbye, Canelo.
That fight could happen for Crawford in the first quarter of 2025, but probably not if Madrimov destroys him on Saturday night in their 12-round headliner on DAZN and ESPN+ PPV.
A loss for Crawford on Saturday night will put him in a situation where he could see the Canelo Alvarez fight disappear entirely. Instead of him getting that fight, it might be Madrimov facing Alvarez in early 2025 in a vintage GGG vs. Canelo contest.
The visual imagery of Canelo fighting Madrimov would be nearly identical to the one where the Mexican star fought a young Golovkin for the first time in September 2017.
Terence Crawford: “You ain’t better than me at nothing. You talk a good game.”
Eddie Hearn: “You’re very nervous today. I don’t know what’s wrong with you. Your energy is all off. I’m worried about you on Saturday. I don’t think you’re taking this fight right.”
Crawford: “I’m 3-0 against you, sir.”
Hearn: “That doesn’t matter. You fought against Ricky Burns at 135 pounds. Indongo.”
Crawford: “That’s your best champion [Ricky Burns].”
Hearn: “That’s your hardest fight. This is going to be your hardest fight this Saturday. 115-113, it should have been a draw. Look at the scorecards.”
Why Eddie didn’t take the $700 🤷🏻♂️😎 pic.twitter.com/jHnybyDiaF
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) July 29, 2024
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