Boxing
Crawford confident and focused ahead of Madrimov fight
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaTerence 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.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
2 days agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
4 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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