Terence Crawford’s trainer, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, is concerned about his fight against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
BoMac claims to have watched some of Madrimov’s fights and thinks he is “tough as hell”. Surprisingly, BoMac is only now realizing what the soon-to-be-37-year-old Crawford has in front of him in the rusty ring, as die-hard boxing fans know what he was up against when the fight was announced.
BoMac must have been living under a rock all these years not to know about Madrimov and the Golovkin-esque threat he’s laying on Crawford’s table. I see Madrimov as a combination of Canelo Alvarez in terms of skill and Gennady Golovkin in power.
Madrimov is not the type of fighter you want to face when you are approaching 30, having been out of the ring for 14 months and weighing seven pounds.
Crawford in pursuit of glory
Some believe Crawford bit off more than he can chew by moving up to 154 pounds and facing the No. 1 fighter in the weight class, Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs). He’s a walking guillotine and Crawford’s head will be next on the block.
Crawford has had great success in his last three fights, defeating vintage fighters Errol Spence, Shawn Porter and David Avanesyan. That gave him the confidence to move up to 154 pounds to face the biggest fighter the division has seen since it was haunted by feared knockout artist Julian Jackson years ago.
If Crawford loses this fight on August 3, he will have to decide whether to stay at 154 pounds, drop down to 147 pounds or retire. It wouldn’t make sense for Crawford to move up to 168 pounds to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight championship if he loses to Madrimov.
It also depends on His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. The fight could still happen if he continues with the plan for Crawford to face Canelo regardless of his defeat.
We saw Francis Ngannou lose to Tyson Fury in one of Turki’s appearances and then face Anthony Joshua in his next fight, which means losses mean nothing. They are simply a path to victory.
Will Madrimov hit the mark?
“These foreign guys are just as hungry as the American fighters. I come here to fight a fighter like Terence [is huge]. You beat a guy like Crawford, you hit the mark,” said coach Brian “BoMac” McIntyre Fightdiscussing Terence Crawford’s title fight against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3.
Let’s hope this lights a fire under Team Crawford’s asses now that BoMac realizes they’re not up against one of their typical aging opponents. Those Crawford has been fighting since 2020 have been older fighters who have seen better days.
Madrimov is hungry and will be ready for newcomer Crawford on what should be the biggest payday of the WBA champion’s career.
“We understand wholeheartedly that guys are coming here getting their chance, trying to feed their families, make history for themselves and be on top of the world. We understand this and are well prepared for it,” BoMac said.
Madrimov is by far the biggest threat to Crawford’s career and comes at an inopportune time for him when he is 37 years vintage, has been inactive for over a year on a victory lap and tainted by years of fighting top prospects.
“I watched some of his fights. The dude is tough as hell and you can’t sleep on this kid,” BoMac said about the undefeated Madrimov. “He wants it too. It’s obvious he wants it. I met him and his team a few weeks ago. They’re stern about it. It will just make us better.”
Madrimov’s time to shine
The undefeated Madrimov will not come to play matches in this fight. He hits like a truck and has the instincts of a shark. It is the perfect destruction machine. If Crawford, due to his enormous fortune, has taken a step back from the cushioned life, it will not be good for him on August 3.
“Madrimov is currently our biggest challenge. We can’t sleep on the guy. The guy is damn good,” BoMac said when asked about Crawford’s interest in fighting Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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