Terence Crawford became a four-division world champion in Los Angeles by beating previously-undefeated Israil Madrimov over the distance.
It was ‘Bud’s debut at 154 having won belts at 135 and been undisputed at both 140 and 147. He looked good on the scales at the new weight and entered the ring a betting favourite against the bigger but much less experienced Uzbek champion.
Madrimov stayed competitive throughout and had plenty of success against the American, whose instinct to gear up and go for the finish looked dampened by the power punches coming back at him. The attacks came in bunches and there were swing rounds that many scoring the fight will take a closer look in the coming days.
The win ended a run of 11 straight stoppage victories, and Crawford praised the ‘tough and strong’ Madrimov post-fight. Madrimov said he felt he did enough to win and that he would like a rematch before his promoter, Eddie Hearn, was interviewed and didn’t hold back on his view of the scorecards – 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 all in favour of Crawford.
“It’s a waste of time. It’s not a 116-112 fight. Madrimov was in the fight. He’s coming in to the fight as the champion, but because he’s fighting Terence Crawford he doesn’t get a shake. All of the effective punched were coming from Israil Madrimov. Crawford had a good flurry in I think the last or tenth round.
It was a super close fight. I believe when you come into that ring as champion [he] has to take the belt off that champion. Terence Crawford didn’t do that. I love him, he’s brilliant, but, for me, [Israil] deserves to be champion tonight. And when you hear the scorecards it’s like a why do you bother, kind of thing? You lost by four rounds on two scorecards.
I was sitting in the corner, they were so quiet the whole fight. The twelfth round – ‘we need this!’ They knew this fight was on a knife edge, and you get absolutely zero respect from the judges because it’s Terence Crawford … It feels like a waste of time when you lose 116-112, it’s like they’re already filled out before. Everyone knows, they were coming up to me [saying] ‘oh you’ve ruined our plans.’ It was that kind of fight.”
Crawford’s mission to land a Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez fight another two divisions up seemed less enthusiastic than it has done in the past. He said the fight would be made if the money was right and that it was another step to greatness, but would be focusing on spending time with his family and enjoying the win in the meantime.
