Israil Madrimov, ‘Little GGG,’ May shock the world on August 3rd when he defends his WBA junior middleweight title against a newcomer to the 154-lb division, Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, on August 3rd at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Madrimov: The Diamond in the Rough
The ambitious, belt-hungry Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is moving up to 154 to take on this young kid, Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), who some feel is a younger, better technically-skilled version of Gennadiy Golovkin.
Madrimov, 29, is in the prime of his career, coming off a brilliant knockout win against Magomed Kurbanov in March, and looks like the equivalent of Hope Diamond of the 154-lb division. He’s the crown jewel of the junior middleweight division.
For Crawford to take this fight is a sign that his past wins have gone to his head, making him believe he’s invincible. Bud is like a little general now, commanding troops and sending them into a massacre. That’s what happens when a fighter’s ego gets too big.
Crawford will face Madrimov in a tough fight. Bud Crawford will turn 37 in September and is coming off a year-long layoff, which included a loss in the first contest at 154.
Fan reaction to the Crawford vs. Madrimov is mixed. Some fans view it as a tune-up for Crawford to prepare him for a fight against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in the first quarter of 2025.
If the Madrimov clash is a tune-up in Crawford’s mind, he’s asking for trouble. Madrimov can punch holes through a fighter, especially an aging welterweight who has one foot out the door into retirement and is distracted by the Canelo mega-money fight next year.
Crawford’s Ego: A Potential Downfall?
Could Crawford’s ego have been warped by his victories against washed fighters Errol Spence and Shawn Porter, making him believe he’s as good as he and his followers think?
The Nebraska native Crawford should have stayed at 147 for one more fight to defend against his IBF welterweight mandatory Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis before moving up to 154 to challenge Madrimov in a risky fight.
With Crawford leaving the welterweight division without fighting Boots Ennis, fans perceive that he fled the division to avoid a dangerous fight that could have led to the younger fighter exposing him as hype.
Crawford’s Best Wins:
– Errol Spence: *Post 2019 car crash
– Shawn Porter: End of career
– David Avanesyan
– Kell Brook: *Still reeling from Golovkin KO defeat
– Amir Khan: History of bad knockout losses
– Ricky Burns
– Viktor Postol
– Egidijus Kavaliauskas
– Jose Benavidez Jr: *After being shot
The Extended Victory Lap
Crawford has been busy reveling in the afterglow of his biggest career victory against the car crash-ravaged Errol Spence last July 2023. He has waited until now to finally return to work and continue his career.
You don’t like to see fighters sitting on the sidelines, lapping up the praise from fans, celebrating a victory on extended victory laps the way that Crawford has done since beating Spence.
#FridayFeeling for @IsrailMadrimov💨#RiyadhSeasonCard | #CrawfordMadrimov pic.twitter.com/RPrrAVz9Xn
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 28, 2024
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