Terence Crawford beats Israel Madrimov in a chess match, wins WBA 154-pound title

Terence Crawford outpointed Israil Madrimov in a close-fought 12-round chess match on Saturday, winning the WBA 154-pound belt and cementing his claim as a generational talent but his latest victory, which made the American's 12-year-old 36 years old. the four division title holder, it didn't come easy.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), who was taken this distance for the first time in 11 fights spanning eight years, won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 (twice). It was his first fight in the junior middleweight division, where The Ring ranks Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) No. 3 among the world's 154 best researchers.

Most viewers thought the game at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles was too close and too hard to score. Some believe that Madrimov scored 115-113 (including yours truly). Madrimov applied extremely cautious pressure throughout, jumping in and out of his toes, using more toes than consistent foul play. Neither boxer let his hands go during the early rounds, but Madrimov, a Southern California native of Uzbekistan, harassed Crawford with his herky-jerky rhythm and made the American miss more than the fans had ever seen.

Israel Madrimov had his moments against Terence Crawford. Photo by Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

In Round 6, Crawford's right eye began to swell, but the crafty switch puncher was also getting a kick out of his jabs and body shots. Madrimov's best jab was his slick, well-timed right hand, which landed just enough to create a sense of urgency in Crawford's corner between rounds. In the 8th round, the reigning Ring Magazine welterweight champion and future hall of famer stepped into the gas and began the kind of exchange the sold-out crowd of LA fans and celebrities were hoping to witness.

It was tit-for-tat action that led to some very close rounds of calls down the pay-per-view main event. Madrimov continued to land his right hands, and the occasional hook, in Rounds 9 and 10, while Crawford focused on the 29-year-old's body in the championship round. The Nebraska native stayed on his toes but came on late in Rounds 11 and 12, firing hard, clean shots.

Terence Crawford had to rally late against Israel Madrimov. Photo by Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

“Israel was a tough opponent,” said Crawford, No. “He's really strong, he's tough, he took me 12 (rounds). He had quick feet, good rhythm up top and was strong. He had good discipline like me.”

Madrimov presented a different kind of style for Crawford to discover. Crawford's previous five fights, dating back to December 2019, were against aggressive and pressure fighters – Egidjus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas, Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, David Avanesyan, and Errol Spence, whom Crawford has developed over the past year. Crawford has only fought once a year since 2020, and one has to wonder if that inactivity (along with his age) played a part in his difficulty adapting to Madrimov's athletic style. Of course, Crawford says he was just being careful.

“I realized (the style) was out of the way,” he told DAZN's Chris Mannix during a post-fight interview, “but I was very patient, I didn't want to get caught. I did my thing.”

Indeed, he did his thing against a top talent who had 11 pro bouts. Can he do his thing against super middleweight champion and future hall of famer Canelo Alvarez? That's the fight that the Honorable, Turki Alalshikh – the money behind Crawford-Madrimov and the August 3 SuperCard – and most of the boxing world, want to see next.

“If the money is right, we have to fight,” Crawford said.

Alvarez is expected to face off against Edgar Berlanga in September, paving the way for a fight with Crawford in early 2025. When asked what his struggle with Madrimov made him think about jumping other weight classes, Crawford answered. :

“Absolutely not. I'm sure (Madrimov) can fight at 168.”

Madrimov is likely to remain at junior middleweight. There's a lot going on 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 fight in September.

During the PPV broadcast (run by DAZN, ESPN+ and PPV.COM) Alalshikh said he would like to see Crawford fight Ortiz if Canelo is not interested.

“I fought the best fighter in the world, and I think I did enough (to win) because I was the champion,” said Madrimov speaking through an interpreter. “At least, I deserve a second chance. I was holding back too. I felt that each round was competitive, that I held my own in each round. I can push hard in the rematch.”

A return fight with Crawford is unlikely to be a clash with the winner of Bohachuk-Ortiz, Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora 1 is very welcome.