Given their “massive” size differences, Israil Madrimov expresses doubts that Terence Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez could engage in a competitive bout.
To win the WBA super-welterweight championship and become the first four-weight world champion, Crawford (41-0-0 31 KO) defeated Madrimov (10-1-1 7 KO) in his first professional fight on Saturday. “Bud” won the unanimous decision in a fiercely contested bout that saw scores of 115-113 on two judges’ scorecards and 116-112 on the third.
Madrimov stopped Crawford’s string of six stoppage victories over nearly six years by going the full distance against the former two-weight undisputed champion.
Crawford, who was making his debut at super-welterweight, does not have the same power he did when he was winning world belts in smaller classes, which is the obvious conclusion to reach.
Even still, the Nebraskan continued to be asked questions following each fight about a possible mega-fight against Canelo, the undisputed super-middleweight champion. Turki Alalshikh, the head of Saudi boxing, mostly started the idea, saying he wanted to match the two best fighters in the sport.
Madrimov is not persuaded, especially if Alvarez declines to go down to a catchweight, despite Crawford’s assurance that the extra weight wouldn’t be an issue and his statement that he would be interested if the money was right. Madrimov and Crawford have shared a ring.
According to Madrimov, “I don’t know, it depends on what weight they fight in.” But given Canelo’s size, I believe Crawford will have a very tough time competing in his weight class if they do so.
Taking the opportunity to consider his bout in Los Angeles versus Crawford, Madrimov stated he was pleased with his performance and maintained that “Bud” wasn’t the hardest opponent he had ever fought.
He remarked, “I felt good, really good, proud of myself like Eddie [Hearn] said.” “Crawford is one of the best fighters in the world, pound for pound, and he’s not an easy fight. He defeated Spence and the other nine opponents in his final ten fights.
“I didn’t think it was my hardest battle; there were some people who questioned how I had won my world title belt in my last fight. However, I believe that I had demonstrated in this fight why it was simple back then, why I am a champion, and why I am deserving of that title. I don’t doubt myself, and I feel good about myself.
“This fight was so close because there is no doubt about his power and skills—I knew that,” Madrimov continued. “I followed my plan and did all I could, but if I had won the eleventh and twelfth rounds, I might have won the fight or received a draw.
“I tried to be aggressive and take the battle to him early on in the fight, and I did a lot of that as well. I put in more effort, but perhaps with the experience I’ve learned, I can perform better in the future.
Regarding his plans, Madrimov declared that he intends to challenge for a world championship as soon as feasible. Since Crawford is unlikely to give him another chance, he is going after the other fighters in the division.
“Attempting to steal something from someone else and trying to win another title or take it back motivates me a lot. I want to try and see how it goes.”
