A leaked slap-sparring between Terence Crawford and former two-division world Champion’ Andre Ward surfaced tonight, showing the preparation Bud is doing ahead of his fight against WBA Junior middleweight Champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Crawford’s New Approach: Jab and Move
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) looks slower and heavier with the weight he’s put on and the year he’s been out of the ring. For any fighter to be inactive for 12 months, they won’t look the same as the last time they fought, especially when they’re 36.
It will be interesting to see if Crawford can keep Madrimov off him or if he’ll look to punch like he did in his last fight against Errol Spence Jr. last year on July 29th, 2023.
Crawford had the ideal opponent in that fight, as Spence looked a shadow of his former self after emerging from a 17-month layoff and reportedly having lost a great deal of weight to reach the welterweight limit.
Whatever fight Spence had in him was lost from his long layoff, weight gain, and the torture of trimming down to 147.
In the footage, Crawford frequently uses his jab and pulls away three feet each time Ward comes forward. This is the Shakur Stevenson style of fighting, which suggests that Crawford will be looking to win on points against Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs).
The fight will be very boring if Crawford emulates Shakur all night because people are paying a lot of money to order this card on PPV, and they’re not going to watch him play hit and move all night. This is the entertainment business, and he won’t do that if he uses a hit-and-not-get-hit style.
Madrimov’s Challenge: Closing the Distance
If there is going to be action in the fight, it will require Madrimov to close the distance rapidly and trap Crawford. The fight could be difficult to judge if Crawford will just jab and move without mixing it up. It would be a good idea for Crawford to make it entertaining for the fans because Canelo Alvarez will not want to fight him in 2025 if he plays it safe for twelve rounds.
Although His Excellency wants the Canelo-Crawford fight to happen, Canelo will have the last word on whether to take the fight. That is why Crawford needs to be cognizant that he can’t imitate Shakur and think he’ll automatically be given the Canelo fight afterward.
Strong Undercard Offers Backup
Thankfully, the undercard is excellent, just in case the main event fails to meet expectations.
On the undercard, WBA light welterweight champion Isaac Cruz defends against Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela in a fight that some feel should be the true main event on the August 3rd card. Cruz looked outstanding in his last fight, stopping Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
Other great fights on undercard:
Andy Cruz vs. Antonio Moran
David Morrell Jr. vs. Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic
Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller
Jared Anderson vs. Martin Bakole
Look past him at your peril 👀 https://t.co/b0jHZAGQiu
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) July 15, 2024
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