By: Sean Crose
It looks like the question of when the great Terence Crawford will return to the ring has been answered. According to multiple reports, the undefeated pound-for-pound fighter will make the leap to junior middleweight to face WBA titlist Israil Madrimov at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium on August 3. Here will be the first time the fighter known as “Bud” fights since completely dominating Errol Spence in a welterweight championship superfight last summer. For the Madrimov fight, Crawford will once again move up a weight class, as he did from lightweight to junior welterweight, then from junior welterweight to welterweight as his career progressed. evolution.
Of course, this is a huge opportunity for Madrimov, who – although he owns the WBA world super welterweight title – is not exactly a household name. The 29-year-old will certainly receive attention if he upsets 36-year-old Crawford. Because, while both men are undefeated, it’s Crawford who has the much more impressive resume. With forty wins and no losses, Crawford captured world titles in three weight classes, besting the likes of Amir Khan and Shawn Porter, with the aforementioned Spence along the way .
All told, the 10-0-1 Madrimov defeated previously undefeated Magomed Kurbanov by fifth-round stoppage last March to win the WBA title. Furthermore, 7 of the 10 men’s victories came before the final bell. There’s no doubt Madrimov can hit, but does he have much of a chance against the sublime Crawford? The odds will certainly react negatively. However, if fans learned anything from last weekend’s memorable Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney bout, it’s that no one can completely ignore it when it comes to the fight.
Importantly, it appears the Crawford-Madrimov fight will come with a loaded card. Leo Santa Cruz is emerging from years of boxing obscurity to face Abner Mares for the third time. Likewise, former boxer Andy Ruiz will also return to the ring. His opponent, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, is another man looking to make a comeback. Finally, Isaac Cruz, coming off his win over Rolando Romero at the end of the winter, will return to face Jose Valenzuela, who is coming off a win over Chris Colbert last December. Overall, this has the makings of an enjoyable night of boxing.
