Terence Crawford beats Israil Madrimov to become four-division champion

Terence Crawford, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, defeated Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision on Saturday night to become a four-division champion.

Crawford won the WBA super welterweight title in his first fight at 154 pounds. The judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) had not fought since stopping Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023 to become the undisputed welterweight champion. He has also won titles at super lightweight and lightweight.

Saturday’s win could set up a fight between Crawford and Canelo Álvarez, the reigning 168-pound champion.

“You know what I say, if the money is right, we gotta fight,” Crawford said immediately after the fight.

The virtually unknown Madrimov (10-1-1) has done well on the highest podium for the 29-year-old Uzbekistan so far.

“I fought the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and I believe I did enough because I was the champion,” Madrimov said. “I controlled the rhythm and felt very comfortable in the ring. I believe I did very well.”

It began as a cautious affair, with both fighters trying to establish position and feel each other out over the first three rounds. That approach didn’t sit well with the capacity crowd at BMO Stadium, who responded with booing and whistling after enduring scorching temperatures and blazing sunshine for most of the long match at the outdoor home of MLS team LAFC.

Crawford applied the pressure in the fourth round and just missed a hard right in the closing seconds.

“I didn’t want to rush anything because I got caught a couple times trying to eat too fast,” Crawford said. “But I did my thing.”

Madrimov was energized in the fifth round after Crawford slipped and landed on his backside. Madrimov followed up with a series of aggressive punches to force his American opponent onto the defensive. The flurry sent Crawford back into a cautious stance for most of the next two rounds before landing a rare effective combination to the body late in the seventh.

“He was waiting to counter me, just like I was trying to counter him,” Crawford said. “He was very disciplined, he didn’t come in with wild punches like I was going to, and it was a very good fight.”

Madrimov regained momentum with three straight right punches to the face in the eighth round. Crawford landed a shot of his own, forcing Madrimov to break the momentum and come back with a right hook.

“I made a few mistakes, but I felt I did enough in each round,” Madrimov said. “I also held back a lot, so in the rematch I can do a lot more.”

The fight became more intense in the next two rounds, with both fighters mainly trying to throw powerful punches rather than stringing together longer periods of control.

Crawford came to his feet in the final 30 seconds of the 11th round. The flash of energy carried him through the final round, when he unsuccessfully pushed for a 12th consecutive knockout victory. Both fighters missed with wild throws in the final minutes, but it was Crawford who emphatically raised both gloves as the fight ended.

Jose Valenzuela (14-2) won the WBA super lightweight title by split decision over Isaac Cruz (26-3-1) in the co-main event. Valenzuela received identical 116-112 scores from two judges, while Cruz received a 115-113 score from the third.

The crowd booed the result and again when Valenzuela was interviewed afterwards, having seen Cruz live up to his “Pitbull” nickname and Valenzuela consistently backing down for most of the bout. But Valenzuela’s tactical counterpunches were enough to sway the opinions that mattered. Cruz said he would push for an immediate rematch.

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