Terence Crawford outpoints Israil Madrimov in chess match, wins WBA 154-pound title

Terence Crawford outpointed Israil Madrimov in a high-level, closely contested 12-round chess match on Saturday, earning the WBA 154-pound belt and solidifying his claim as a generational talent but his latest victory, which made the 36-year-old American a four-division titleholder, did not come easy.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), who was taken the distance for the first time in 11 bouts covering an eight-year span, won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 (twice). It was his first bout in the junior middleweight division, where The Ring’s ranks Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) No. 3 among the world’s best 154 pounders.

Most observers thought the bout, which took place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, was very close and very hard to score. Some believe it could have been scored a draw or 115-113 for Madrimov (including Yours Truly). Madrimov applied extremely cautious pressure throughout, bouncing in and out of range on his toes, using more feints than consistent offense. Neither boxer let his hands go during the early rounds, but Madrimov, a Southern California-based native of Uzbekistan, troubled Crawford with his herky-jerky rhythm and made the American miss more than fans have ever witnessed.

By Round 6, Crawford’s right eye began to swell, but the crafty switch-hitter was also finding range with his jabs and body shots. Madrimov’s best punch was his sneaky, well-timed right hand, which landed enough to create a sense of urgency in Crawford’s corner between rounds. In Round 8, the reigning Ring Magazine welterweight champ and future hall of famer stepped on the gas and initiated the kind of exchange the sold-out crowd L.A. fans and celebrities had hoped to witness.

It was a tit-for-tat action that led to more too-close-call rounds down the stretch of the pay-per-view main event. Madrimov continued to land his right hands, and an occasional hook, in Rounds 9 and 10, while Crawford concentrated on the 29-year-old’s body in the championship rounds. The Nebraska native remained on his toes but came on late in Rounds 11 and 12, landing the harder, cleaner shots.

“Israil was a tough competitor,” said Crawford, No. 3 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings. “He’s real strong, durable, he took me 12 (rounds). He had fast feet, good rhythm upstairs and he was strong. He had good discipline like me.”

Madrimov presented a different kind of style for Crawford to unravel. His previous five bouts, dating back to December 2019, were against aggressive boxers and pressure fighters — Egidjus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas, Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, David Avanesyan, and Errol Spence, whom Crawford bested a little over one year ago. Crawford has fought only once a year since 2020, and one has to wonder if that inactivity (as well as his age) played a part in his difficulty in figuring out Madrimov’s athletic style. Of course, Crawford says he was just being careful.

“I figured (the style) out from the get-go,” he told DAZN’s Chris Mannix during the post-fight interview, “but I was very patient, I didn’t want to get caught. I did my thing.”

Indeed, he did his thing vs. a talented former amateur standout who had 11 pro bouts. Can he do his thing against super middleweight champ and fellow future hall of famer Canelo Alvarez? That’s the fight that His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh — the money behind Crawford-Madrimov and the August 3 SuperCard — and much of the boxing world, wants to see next.

“If the money’s right, we gotta fight,” Crawford said.

Alvarez is expected to take care of business vs. Edgar Berlanga in September, clearing the way for a potential showdown with Crawford in early 2025. When asked if his struggle with Madrimov has given him second thoughts on jumping up two more weight classes, Crawford replied:

“Not at all. I’m pretty sure (Madrimov) could fight at 168.”

Madrimov is likely going to stay at junior middleweight, where The Ring ranks him at No. 3. There’s a lot of action coming up in the 154-pound division, including next Saturday’s showdown between undefeated KO artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. and No. 4-rated Serhii Bohachuk, and No. 2-rated Tim Tszyu’s comeback bout in September.

During the PPV broadcast (carried by DAZN, ESPN+ and PPV.COM) Alalshikh said he’d like to see Crawford vs. Ortiz if Canelo isn’t interested.

“I fought the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and I think I did enough (to win) because I was the champion,” said Madrimov via an interpreter. “At least, I deserve a rematch. I was holding myself back a lot too. I felt each round was competitive. I feel that I held my own in each round. I can push harder in a rematch.”

A return bout with Crawford is unlikely but showdowns with the Bohachuk-Ortiz winner, Tszyu and No. 1-rated Sebastian Fundora are very much welcome.

The post Terence Crawford outpoints Israil Madrimov in chess match, wins WBA 154-pound title appeared first on The Ring.