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Israil Madrimov: I accept everything as it is and I was rewarded for my patience

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Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov face off for the first time in fight week ahead of their WBA World Interim WBO World Super Welterweight title fight in Los Angeles on August 3rd. Photo Credit: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

Israil Madrimov always felt that such a chance would come to him sooner or later.

For a moment his only concern was the fight for the gate he had to overcome to get there, but he risked falling.

The undefeated Uzbek will defend his WBA junior middleweight title against Terence “Bud” Crawford, who is moving up a weight class, in a scheduled 12-round fight that will headline a Pay-Per-View event this Saturday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

A series of circumstances nearly robbed Madrjmov (10-0-1, 7 knockouts) of the chance to win the belt he was fighting for. His fight for the vacant title against Magomed Kurbanov was postponed several times and faced a medical issue that took several extra days to resolve.

“I had a lot of thoughts in my head at that time,” Madrimov admitted in an interview with The Ring. “It was the longest time I’ve ever prepared for a fight, considering the many postponements. We were supposed to fight in the US, then in Mexico… all these places in the world, but we never got in the ring. Then they told me that in this last situation it might not happen at all.

“It was tough, and it lasted about four weeks from (March 8). We kept in shape, but when that last date came, my trainers came for that part of camp. Then at the last minute we got pulled from the flight because of this medical situation. “At that point, my mindset was, ‘If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.’ If it’s not going to happen, then I’m just going to have to accept it. So we got the word, we made it to the weigh-ins and then of course the fight.”

Madrimov was eventually allowed to fight, and he made the most of the opportunity, knocking out the undefeated Kurbanov in the fifth round on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Everything worked out. We got to the ring and I came out as the recent WBA champion. It wasn’t perfect how we got there, but it was an experience that made me stronger.”

With this feat, Madrimov became a contender in the recent junior middleweight division.

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) was stripped of all four body-sanctioning belts and his Ring championship for a indigent defense. Madrimov was one of the beneficiaries of the belts that were up for grabs. The prize was a dream fight with Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), the Ring welterweight champion and No. 3 pound-for-pound.

Saturday’s show largely revolves around Crawford, the favorite of Turki Alalshikh and the Riyadh Season group. Much of the pre-fight talk has included speculation about a future no-weight clash with Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs).

Madrimov, the No. 3 seed at 154, isn’t bothered by any talk of a mythical fight. He’s equally unhappy with his status as an outsider, despite Crawford moving up to a fourth weight class. Crawford is a -700 favorite at bet365, which prices Madrimov at +450 to successfully defend his title.

Crawford won the RING championship at 135, 140 and 147 pounds. He became the first undisputed champion in two weight classes with a knockout victory over Errol Spence on July 29 in Las Vegas.

Madrimov believes that the chance to correct Crawford’s mistake comes from the need for the universe to organize his struggles in the ranks of the organization.

A controversial knockout win over Michel Soro in December 2021 made Madrimov the WBA’s mandatory challenger. A rematch was scheduled for July of the following year but ended in a clash of heads after two rounds.

Madrimov waited another nine months for his next fight, which came on DAZN’s “Before The Bell” segment last April in San Antonio, Calif. A 10-round win over Raphael Igbokwe was his only fight of 2023. Then came the waiting game with the WBA as to when he would get a title shot.

The scheduled fight with Kurbanov was not confirmed for the full title when both sides agreed to the fight. It didn’t matter as it changed locations multiple times before ultimately threatening to be removed from the schedule entirely.

All that was left for Madrimov was faith that his time would come. When it did, he seized every second and now he is focused on fighting for the legacy he has longed for.

“I take everything I can get, and I was rewarded for my patience,” Madrimov noted. We went through six different opponents in the elimination fight and waited three years for my shot at the title.

“It finally happened and I was blessed with this result.”

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Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The 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.

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Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

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Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd 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.

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Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

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Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN 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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