Terence Crawford has re-watched his victory over Israil Madrimov and has now got a clear view on his performance.
It made ‘Bud’ a four-weight world champion, having also reigned at lightweight, super-lightweight and welterweight, and impressively becoming undisputed at super-lightweight and welterweight.
His move up to 154lbs didn’t provide the explosive performance fans have seen from Crawford in recent years though, with him only narrowly defeating Madrimov by unanimous decision.
It has led to questions about whether Crawford can still be at his very best in the new weight class, and he has given an honest assessment when discussing the bout in the latest edition of Ring Magazine
“I thought I looked wonderful in that fight. I re-watched it and thought I was sharp and controlling the action. The only thing he was doing was feinting and moving. He didn’t try to engage.
People just thought, ‘Terence Crawford didn’t blow him out of the water.’ Criticism used to bother me. I used to have a chip on my shoulder and get angry. Now I accept all criticism. It comes with the territory. It’s just someone’s opinion, but I think people didn’t understand how good Madrimov was that night.
He changed his whole style. I was training for a fighter to do certain things and he came out and did the complete opposite. That throws you off. I thought we’d collide and we didn’t.
He didn’t want to engage. He wanted to counter me on my counter, so it became a technical fight. Two fighters trying to counter becomes a chess match, so I took my time. In the past, I might get impatient, but I stayed patient and felt I controlled the fight.”
Crawford’s next move is yet to be made official, but it appears that it became much clearer after making a final decision on whether he will face Sebastian Fundora.
