Written by Alan Dawson in Los Angeles
Madrimov's team appears to be undermining Terence Crawford's signature victory over Errol Spence Jr.
In a fight that neutral observers considered close to a 50:50 boxing match, Crawford showed that there is a level between what he brings to the ring, and a successful champion, as he delivered a brutal and brutal punch. years in Las Vegas, last July.
With his victory, Crawford became the undefeated welterweight champion of the world and undoubtedly scored one that will be remembered for a long time.
However Hearn told Debate News this week that it wasn't that impressive since Spence was “shot to death.”
Spence, 33 at the time, had beaten several welterweights during his championship run, including Kell Brook, Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugas. His performance appeared to be good but on July 29 2023 he appeared to save his worst performance from Crawford.
“I'm not really taking too much away from that fight,” Hearn said. “I take a lot from everything else he's done.
“He's progressing slowly but he's very good, and he's lived the full life of an athlete. I don't think the time will come when he will catch up with him,” said Hearn, “it will be a weight that catches up with him.”
Crawford won his first major world championship in 2014 when he pinned Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight title. Since then, he has won unification, world titles in super lightweight, and eliminated its leading champion 147 times.
It remains to be seen whether 154 will be the farthest weight class, but on recent form, it seems unlikely. “Maybe 54 isn't too big of a jump,” Hearn admitted, but then pointed to what he saw as the deciding factor – Madrimov. “He's a pound-for-pound monster that hits hard,” said Hearn of the Uzbek bruiser.
Hearn isn't the only one who doesn't have much value in Crawford's killing of Spence.
“I think Spence is very good and one of the best fighters pound-for-pound,” Madrimov's manager Vadim Kornilov told Boxing News, “but I don't think Spence was the best that night.”
Kornilov added: “That made the fight easier for Crawford.
Madrimov, said Kornilov, will not make the same mistakes. “He is a complete package with no mental negatives.”
The Crawford vs Madrimov fight will take place on Saturday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, headlined by the Riyadh Season and Matchroom event airing on DAZN PPV, PPV.com, and Prime Video.
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