Terence Crawford says he feels mighty at 154 pounds ahead of his fight with WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrilmov, which will air live on DAZN on Saturday.
(Source: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) moves up seven pounds from 147 to 154, looking to dethrone the undefeated Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in his first fight at the weight and then potentially move up again.
Madrimov will have a say in whether Crawford continues his career Saturday night. He plans to give the newcomer a rude welcome by taking him down and changing his vision of using their fight as a springboard to a showdown with Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds.
Crawford says he’s not taking Madrimov lightly, but he’s made it clear throughout the promotion for their fight that he wants Canelo to be next. No matter how Crawford wants to present it, it’s a signal that he’s looking beyond Madrimov and using him as a springboard.
Comparisons to Jeff Horn
Some believe Madrimov is the same as Jeff Horn, the fighter Crawford knocked out in the ninth round in June 2018. Horn is significantly faster than Madrimov but lacks his power.
Crawford was faster then, and he’s slowed down a lot over the last six years. He’s still quick, but not like he was when he fought Horn six years ago.
Madrimov may have trouble with Crawford if he can’t hurt him with his punches, as he can’t match his speed and combinations. Crawford was stronger than Horn and muscled him up with his clinch wrestling.
It may be hard for him to do that against Madramimov, as he is stronger than Horn was back then.
“I feel great, I feel mighty, I feel motivated. I’m ready to go out here and do my thing,” said Terence Crawford Fight Center TVdiscussing his fight against Israel Madrimov on Saturday night.
Crawford looked close to weight tonight and showed no signs of exhaustion. It will be engaging to see if he can maintain his speed at 147 pounds in this fight.
“I wasn’t mad. Eddie was just throwing rocks and saying whatever came to mind,” Crawford said of how Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn upset him during a meeting Monday at BMO Stadium with Madrimov.
“He’s a great fighter. He’s tough, hungry, tough, athletic,” Crawford said of Madrimov. He has a lot of experience in the amateur ranks, but as you can see, he’s a champion with only 11 fights, and that says a lot about his current ability.
If Crawford can handle Madrimov’s power, he should win this fight easily. If he wants the fight with Canelo, a knockout would be the best option. Crawford shouldn’t box and play it safe and sound with Madrimov, because Canelo won’t want to fight someone who will give him flashbacks to the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight from a decade ago.
“I’m only worried about one person, and that’s Israil. I’m not taking that guy lightly. He’s a tough opponent. It’s going to be tough on Saturday. I’m not taking anybody lightly or worrying about anybody right now,” Crawford said.
Terence was asked about his thoughts on Errol Spence potentially retiring. He hasn’t fought in a year since losing to Crawford, and fans have speculated that he might hang up his gloves.
“We know he’s capable of a lot of things, but we’re not going to leave anything out, so we’re preparing the way we’ve been preparing and focusing on him the way we’ve been focusing on him,” Crawford said of Madrimov.
For Madrimov to have a chance at winning, he can’t miss with his punches like he has in his last few fights. His punches are off target, many of them are off target, leaving him vulnerable to counters. Madrimov managed to do that against Magomed Kurbanov and Raphael Igbokwe because they lacked the skills to make him pay.
“I’ve always sparred with bigger guys. I’ve never sparred with guys my own size. So that’s nothing. No,” Crawford said of whether fighting at super middleweight would be an issue for him.
Crawford should be ecstatic being the smaller guy against Madrimov because he’s facing a slower fighter who can’t give him the size problems that a faster fighter can. If Crawford were to move up to 175 and face Dmitry Bivol or David Benavidez, he’d have trouble.
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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