"Losing isn’t good for any fighter. But it helps me speak to fighters coming up when they go through losses. With Ngannou tonight. If I was the old AJ. It would have been a fight that took years out my career. But now I can get rid of him without taking any punishment. But people were looking at me wondering what I’ve been doing.
That probably doesn't happen to Crawford on Saturday. Instead, Madrimov will likely have some success at times in the early rounds before Crawford locks in his plan of attack and takes over. Once Crawford gets rolling, it's nearly impossible to stop that momentum. Pick: Terence Crawford via TKO8
A four-round unanimous in March 2009 over Travis Hartman was followed by four straight knockouts, the last in December by second-round TKO over Corey Somerville. In 2010, Crawford rose to 12-0 (9 KOs) with stoppages over Marty Robbins and Ron Boyd.
Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs), of Mexico City, impressively stopped Rolando "Rolly" Romero in March while southpaw Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs), of Sinaloa, also shined when he knocked out Chris Colbert in December.
The drive for a fight between Crawford and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez remains. Turki Alalshikh was banging the drum throughout the night, telling DAZN that an offer would be made to the Mexican superstar for a February date and that he should accept it. Do we see that fight? Is the risk worth the reward for Canelo, who would be putting his Hall of Fame legacy on the line against a talented but far smaller opponent?
I’m still torn. My heart says Crawford. I think he’s the better fighter. I think many narratives constructed around his career are, at minimum, misleading; at worst, just false. But my head says Spence. It’s hard to look at the size disparity, the reach advantage and the options available to him and see Crawford doing what Crawford always does. Yes, he has beaten bigger, longer fighters before. But he hasn’t beaten one like Spence. So I see this as 1) a sensational Crawford knockout that cements a generational legacy or 2) a Spence win by decision that speaks to the reach advantage.
Filling an undercard with great fights doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to sell. But if that is done, and the fights turn out as expected, fans will feel as if they’ve gotten their money’s worth. You can add new fans that way. It’s a long-term investment.
It is Crawford’s first fight since last July, when he produced arguably one of the greatest performances in recent espn top rank boxing memory with a one-sided, systematic, ruthless nine-round beatdown of Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas that saw him become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era, having also previously been undisputed at light-welterweight.
Terence Crawford turned the most significant boxing match of the year into a bruising lesson in the sweet science, dropping Errol Spence Jr. three times en route to a ninth-round knockout on Saturday night to become the undisputed champion at 147 pounds.
Before this epic clash, the undercard should deliver some great action. The co-main is Isaac Cruz vs. Giovanni Cabrera in WBC and WBA lightweight title eliminator (titles currently held by Devin Haney).
Terence Crawford is attempting to become a four-division boxing champion tonight when he takes on Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles during the first US-based match of Riyadh Season, sponsored by Saudi Arabia. Crawford, a welterweight undisputed champion, also previously held both the lightweight and super-lightweight titles. The two men will fight for the super-welterweight title during tonight's boxing match.
In March 2013, Crawford scored his biggest victory to date, a 10-round unanimous decision over Breidis Prescott. He followed that up with a sixth-round TKO of Alejandro Sanabria in June. Then that October, won a 10-round unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Alex Klimov.
One intriguing fight will see the return of former unified heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 KOs), who will end two years of inactivity as he takes on Jarrell Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), whose felony carjacking and burglary with assault or battery charges stemming from a January incident were dropped on Tuesday. "Lots of ups and downs in life, but I’m glad that God gave me another opportunity. I’m ready to rock and roll. Aug. 3 will be the return of Andy Ruiz — a consistent Andy Ruiz."
David Morrell 10-0, 9 KOs) vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) for the vacant WBA "regular" light heavyweight title was seemingly destined for a June PBC on Prime card but will now be on the stacked August 3 card.
Crawford was special Saturday. Legendary. Iconic. The majority of the fireworks came from him. He triumphed in a dominant performance—a ninth-round TKO to improve to 40–0—that was almost painful just to watch, for the bludgeoning he clinically delivered. He won with right hooks and straight lefts, won by fighting from orthodox and southpaw stances, won despite absorbing a high number of body shots and stiff jabs. He triumphed with a knockout in Round 9, with what seemed like half of Omaha in the stands and in the ring, with a sold-out T-Mobile Arena rising and roaring and partying at a fight that ranks among the best bouts of this century. (Which, before we wholesale buy into typical boxing hyperbole, isn’t yet a quarter old. But still … this night and that fight, they’re boxing at its absolute best.)
That probably doesn't happen to Crawford on Saturday. Instead, Madrimov will likely have some success at times in the early rounds before Crawford locks in his plan of attack and takes over. Once Crawford gets rolling, it's nearly impossible to stop that momentum. Pick: Terence Crawford via TKO8
A four-round unanimous in March 2009 over Travis Hartman was followed by four straight knockouts, the last in December by second-round TKO over Corey Somerville. In 2010, Crawford rose to 12-0 (9 KOs) with stoppages over Marty Robbins and Ron Boyd.
Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs), of Mexico City, impressively stopped Rolando "Rolly" Romero in March while southpaw Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs), of Sinaloa, also shined when he knocked out Chris Colbert in December.
The drive for a fight between Crawford and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez remains. Turki Alalshikh was banging the drum throughout the night, telling DAZN that an offer would be made to the Mexican superstar for a February date and that he should accept it. Do we see that fight? Is the risk worth the reward for Canelo, who would be putting his Hall of Fame legacy on the line against a talented but far smaller opponent?
I’m still torn. My heart says Crawford. I think he’s the better fighter. I think many narratives constructed around his career are, at minimum, misleading; at worst, just false. But my head says Spence. It’s hard to look at the size disparity, the reach advantage and the options available to him and see Crawford doing what Crawford always does. Yes, he has beaten bigger, longer fighters before. But he hasn’t beaten one like Spence. So I see this as 1) a sensational Crawford knockout that cements a generational legacy or 2) a Spence win by decision that speaks to the reach advantage.Filling an undercard with great fights doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to sell. But if that is done, and the fights turn out as expected, fans will feel as if they’ve gotten their money’s worth. You can add new fans that way. It’s a long-term investment.
It is Crawford’s first fight since last July, when he produced arguably one of the greatest performances in recent espn top rank boxing memory with a one-sided, systematic, ruthless nine-round beatdown of Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas that saw him become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era, having also previously been undisputed at light-welterweight.
Terence Crawford turned the most significant boxing match of the year into a bruising lesson in the sweet science, dropping Errol Spence Jr. three times en route to a ninth-round knockout on Saturday night to become the undisputed champion at 147 pounds.
Before this epic clash, the undercard should deliver some great action. The co-main is Isaac Cruz vs. Giovanni Cabrera in WBC and WBA lightweight title eliminator (titles currently held by Devin Haney).
Terence Crawford is attempting to become a four-division boxing champion tonight when he takes on Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles during the first US-based match of Riyadh Season, sponsored by Saudi Arabia. Crawford, a welterweight undisputed champion, also previously held both the lightweight and super-lightweight titles. The two men will fight for the super-welterweight title during tonight's boxing match.
In March 2013, Crawford scored his biggest victory to date, a 10-round unanimous decision over Breidis Prescott. He followed that up with a sixth-round TKO of Alejandro Sanabria in June. Then that October, won a 10-round unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Alex Klimov.
One intriguing fight will see the return of former unified heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 KOs), who will end two years of inactivity as he takes on Jarrell Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), whose felony carjacking and burglary with assault or battery charges stemming from a January incident were dropped on Tuesday. "Lots of ups and downs in life, but I’m glad that God gave me another opportunity. I’m ready to rock and roll. Aug. 3 will be the return of Andy Ruiz — a consistent Andy Ruiz."
David Morrell 10-0, 9 KOs) vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) for the vacant WBA "regular" light heavyweight title was seemingly destined for a June PBC on Prime card but will now be on the stacked August 3 card.
Crawford was special Saturday. Legendary. Iconic. The majority of the fireworks came from him. He triumphed in a dominant performance—a ninth-round TKO to improve to 40–0—that was almost painful just to watch, for the bludgeoning he clinically delivered. He won with right hooks and straight lefts, won by fighting from orthodox and southpaw stances, won despite absorbing a high number of body shots and stiff jabs. He triumphed with a knockout in Round 9, with what seemed like half of Omaha in the stands and in the ring, with a sold-out T-Mobile Arena rising and roaring and partying at a fight that ranks among the best bouts of this century. (Which, before we wholesale buy into typical boxing hyperbole, isn’t yet a quarter old. But still … this night and that fight, they’re boxing at its absolute best.)