Terence Crawford is already in the easy stages of preparing for his title shot against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd in Los Angeles.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) appears to be putting on size because he will need to move up from 147 to 154 to take on the more powerful Madrimov (10-0, 7 KOs).
Interestingly, fans on social media believe this fight will be a walk in the park for the 36-year-old Crawford. They think he will have an easy time with Madrimov because of how good the Nebraska native looked in his last fight against Errol Spence.
The reality is that Crawford is taking a big career risk, moving up to 154, facing the biggest puncher in the division, and coming off another layoff for another long year to take this fight against Madrimov. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Signs of a Potential Downfall
Crawford checks every box for a fighter biting off more than he can chew.
- Advanced age: Terence turns 37 in September. That ain’t young for boxing.
- Inactivity: Crawford has fought just four times since 2020
- Weak opposition: The guys Crawford has fought have been nowhere near as good as Madrimov. Terence’s best opponent on his resume is the post-car crash version of Errol Spence.
- Moving up to a new weight class: Moving up to 154 is going to be a trap for Crawford, who has faced no one with the kind of power of Madrimov during his 16-year professional career.
- Coming off Long Layoff: Crawford has been a part-time fighter since 2020, and he’s been enjoying the fruits of his labor a little too much.
We could see a big come down from Crawford with Madrimov bringing him down to earth, showing that you can’t be an older, part-time fighter, moving up weight classes against the best guy without it biting you in the backside.
Crawford should have taken an easier fight for his first match at 154 to get acclimated to the division before fighting for a world title. I think his victories over Spence and Shawn Porter have given him the illusion that he can walk on water now. It’s so obvious.
A Silver Lining
This week, the WBC-sanctioning body demoted Crawford to ‘Champion in Recess’ for his welterweight title with their organization. Normally, that would be a bad thing for a fighter, but actually, the WBC is doing Crawford a favor.
The WBC also made Crawford’s fight against Madrimov a 154-lb title eliminator, which means the winner of the contest on August 3rd will be the mandatory challenger of the fight between WBC/WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence winner of their match in October.
If Crawford beats Madrimov, he’s going to be poised to take on Fundora-Spence winner in a big money clash with three belts on the line.
Crawford putting in work 🥊👑
📸 via @terencecrawford pic.twitter.com/u6bpm5RD1c
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 28, 2024