Israil Madrimov intends to spoil Terence Crawford’s plans for a fight against Canelo Alvarez in early 2025. Crawford needs a victory over WBA junior middleweight champion Madrimov on August 3rd to cement his position to jump up two weight classes to challenge Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) for his undisputed super middleweight championship.
Interestingly, Madrimov hasn’t been mentioned as a possible option for the Canelo fight, which suggests that few people believe him capable of beating the old lion Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) in this fight next month on August 3rd.
Some fans would be surprised if Madrimov came out victorious, showing that they had it wrong about him and failed to see what was apparent from the get-go.
A Modern-Day GGG?
A victory for Madrimov will put him in a solid position to get the Canelo fight for himself early next year. The visual imagery of Madrimov fighting Canelo would be like a time machine bringing back the vintage GGG from 2017, which many felt got the better of the Mexican star.
The unbeaten WBA junior middleweight champion Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) defends his belt against Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) on August 3rd in the main event on ESPN+ PPV in arguably the best card the U.S has seen in well over a decade at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Canelo: A Dream Matchup
“Everyone’s dream is to fight the biggest name fighters, and I’m thinking about the task ahead of me, Terence Crawford,” said Madrimov to the Ringside Intel YouTube channel about his title defense on August 3rd against Terence Crawford in Los Angeles.
What’s unclear is whether His Excellency will alter his plans for Crawford to face Canelo, regardless of the outcome of his fight with Madrimov. If it doesn’t matter what happens to Crawford on August 3rd, it makes the Madrimov fight seem pointless.
Why not make the Canelo-Crawford fight now rather than putting Crawford in a risky situation where he might get knocked out by a younger, stronger fighter who could punch holes through him?
“I see all the talk, and people are talking about Canelo-Crawford. Maybe it’s time to talk about Madrimov-Canelo,” Madrimov continued.
Ideally, His Excellency should tell the fans that the Crawford vs. Madrimov fight winner will be the one fighting Canelo because that would bring more drama and excitement to the event.
As it is, the fight seems more like a coronation for Crawford to be crowned prematurely as the next royal opponent for Canelo to fight in early 2025.
Overlooked No More
“After the fight, I will look for the biggest fights. The opportunity to fight Canelo is a special one. I would love that one right after Crawford,” said Madrimov.
Fans would be more forgiving of Canelo if he defended against Madrimov than Crawford because he’s a natural 154-pounder and not someone who started off at 135 and is shooting up to junior middleweight for one fight before going up two divisions to face Alvarez.
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