Crawford Beats Madrimov – Who Is Next?
Terence Crawford beat Israil Madrimov to become the WBA champion at 154, leaving question marks over hisnext steps.
Bud had his first fight as a junior middleweight when he picked up Madrimov’s WBA belt. The victory made him a four-weight world champion, taking his undefeated record to 41-0. There were concerns that he would struggle to withstand Madrimov’s power. But much like he did against Errol Spence Jr. Crawford was a class apart. He was able to negate any power and weight advantage that Madrimov may have had. The attention now turns towards his next opponent.
Crawford’s Options
He could box Sebastian Fundora, who holds the WBC and WBO belts in the weight class. That sets up a massive unification, leaving Crawford one more belt away from being a three-weight undisputed champion. Fundora is expected to fight Errol Spence Jr. next. Reports indicated that a fight could be made for October.
However, it appears any such date has been pushed back, with Spence fighting in November or January of next year. If Spence were to beat Fundora, then there is the narrative for a Crawford-Spence rematch at 154. There were suggestions that Spence was weight-drained at 147, leaving no excuses for this in a 154 clash.
Crawford vs. Canelo
The other alternative is if Crawford moves up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez at 168. Alvarez fights Edgar Beerlanga on September 14 as he defends his three belts at 168. He is no longer the IBF Super Middleweight Champion after the organization stripped him for not defending against his mandatory William Scull.
That means any Crawford fight is now no longer for undisputed. Bud could still take the fight and get a win over an all-time great. Reports indicate the Saudis want that fight, but it means Crawford must have another fight at 168 to claim all the belts. After his win, Bud was open to the fight if the money was right.
“You know what I say, if the money is right, we [Canelo] got to fight. I fought the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and I believe I did enough because I was the champion. [And] I was controlling the rhythm and felt very comfortable inside the ring,” Crawford
Crawford vs. Ennis
The last option is to face Jaron Ennis. Ennis was ringside, as he has been chasing Crawford for some time. Boots was Crawford’s IBF mandatory at 147. But since Crawford had a rematch clause with Spence, Bud was stripped, allowing Ennis to become the full IBF Champion.
This is despite the Spence rematch breaking down. A fight at 154 could present itself if the money is right since Boots has no belts to offer. Either way, Crawford has won the plaudits from even those who wanted him to lose. Madrimov’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, had nothing but positive words to say about Crawford.
“I feel like he should be an American superstar. He’s everything that is great about sports and competition, mindset and preparation, and living life like a true great. We should appreciate him while he is here. He’s like Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, and Sugar Ray Leonard. He’s at that level,” Hearn said
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