Former world champion Antonio Tarver states that Terence Crawford is going to have to use his technical ability to fight WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov to defeat him on August 3rd in their headliner on ESPN+ and DAZN PPV.
Madrimov’s Canelo-esque Power Poses a Threat
Tarver says it won’t be a good idea for Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) to bang with Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) because he’s a puncher with a similar frame as Canelo Alvarez at 5’8″, stocky, and powerful. Madrimov’s power looks similar to Canelo and Gennadiy Golovkin.
If Crawford gets in the trenches with Madrimov and slugs like he did against David Avanesyan and Errol Spence Jr, he won’t last long. Crawford isn’t built to take the kinds of heavy shots that Madrimov lands, especially with his coming off a 13-month layoff, nearing 37.
Madrimov doesn’t crowd his opponents the way Golovkin did and prefers to stay on the outside and lob bombs. Tarver notes that Madrimov lacks hand speed, and he thinks Crawford will have an advantage. However, Madrimov’s speed is similar to Golovkin’s, so it may not matter if he can crowd Crawford as David Avanesyan did. Crawford took many shots against Avanesyan, and that was an old fringe contender.
“You got to take your hat off for Crawford for choosing one of the toughest guys in the division. I think Crawford wants to make a statement,” said Antonio Tarver to Fight Hub TV, talking about Terence Crawford moving up to 154 to take on one of the biggest punchers in the division, WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov, on August 3rd.
I don’t think it was Crawford’d idea for him to fight Madrimov. I believe that was His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s idea. If the choice were up to Crawford, he’d go straight to the Canelo fight to pick up the bag and retire, but he has to earn it slightly.
If His Excellency wanted to make it tough, he would have set it up where Crawford had to go through David Benavidez or David Morrell to earn it. That would have been too big of a hurdle for Crawford, so he’s given him a more manageable but still very difficult hurdle by putting Madrimov in front of him.
“When you look at this guy’s [Madrimov], he looks like he’s just a few pounds away from a Canelo build. He’s going to be a strong guy. His arms are long. The way he fights. There’s no real rhythm there, but he just goes left-handed and right-handed, and he’s got power in both hands.
“One thing he has is power, but I believe Terence has so many things in his bag. I think he’s going to fight off his talent. Don’t go in there and bang with a banger. As long as he can deploy a good defensive strategy and make sure he doesn’t take no necessary shots, I think he can control him,” said Tarver.
Crawford will be unable to avoid getting into a firefight with Madrimov because he’s a pressure fighter who throws long power shots. Crawford has put on weight and is slower, older, and inactive. There are a lot of things going against Crawford’s winning this fight.
If he can’t get a knockout, he’s going to be in for a long night on August 3rd. This isn’t a washed-up, ring-rusty, weight-drained car crash-ruined Errol Spence that Crawford will be fighting.
“He’s [Madrimov] not that fast. He’s not that quick. He’s a little plodding almost, so Crawford should have the speed on him, and I think once he finds his rhythm and his timing, I think Crawford will be able to do what he wants to do,” said Tarver.
Again, Madrimov’s speed is similar to Golvokin’s, but the main difference is he doesn’t stay close and throw nonstop power shots the way he did. The 40-year-old version of Golovkin that defeated Ryota Murata would be a nightmare for Crawford. Madrimov’s pot-shot fighting style might not work against Crawford, but it depends on how well he can handle his power.
Crawford’s inactivity, age, and move up in weight could make it tough for him. He’s old and not active enough, and he hasn’t faced anyone as talented as Madrimov. Crawford’s opposition at 140 and 147 was poor, and he didn’t fight anyone good at 135 either, except for a past his-prime Yuriorkis Gamboa, who staggered him.
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