Lightweight title contender Keyshawn Davis says Terence Crawford will definitely fight Canelo Alvarez next year if he scores a win over Israil Madrimov on August 3 and knocks out the Mexican fighter.
Davis believes Crawford will beat Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) hands down and then move up two weight classes to beat Canelo at 168 pounds.
Keyshawn shares a trainer with Crawford in Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, so there may be a bit of bias and wishful thinking involved when it comes to what he thinks Terence (40-0, 31 KOs) is capable of doing.
Fans were banking more on the 36-year-old Crawford (61-2-2, 39 KOs) and were willing to move up to 168 pounds to first prove himself against top contender David Benavidez rather than fight just for the money.
This jump makes it look like Crawford is doing it for the money and the fans will be fooled like when Jermell Charlo, a bigger puncher than Crawford, moved up from 154 to 168 and was not Canelo’s opponent last year. It was just a money grab and Jermell hasn’t been seen since.
“I think they’ll fight, especially after Crawford’s good performance against his opponent” [Madrimov] “here,” Keyshawn Davis said Fight Center TVpredicting that Canelo Alvarez will want to fight Terence Crawford next year after he defeated WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madramimov on August 3.
If Crawford does well against a 154-pounder with 11 professional fights under his belt, that doesn’t mean Madrimov deserves to move up to 168, skip the 160-pound division entirely and move to the front of the pack to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight title.
Crawford proving his worth in a fight with one guy at 154 doesn’t mean he’ll prove his worth in a fight with Canelo at 168. That’s a money grab. Only a simpleton would see that as Crawford proving his worth.
“Then it will be almost mandatory for them” [Canelo & Crawford] “To be in the fight,” Keyshawn said. “Two men have to want to fight each other. It can’t just be one man. After Crawford proves himself [at 154]“Canelo should be ready for that.”
Keyshawn has some crazy stuff going on in his head. Crawford beating Madrimov at 154 doesn’t make him mandatory at 168. He can utilize that title to get a shot at 160, but not at 168. There won’t be a demand for Crawford to step up to the plate at 168 if he beats Madrimov at junior middleweight.
Crawford would still have to prove himself at middleweight and then face either David Benavidez or David Morrell at 168 pounds, which is out of the question because it wouldn’t end well for him.
“It is obvious that he [Canelo] has a size advantage, but size isn’t everything in a fight,” Keyshawn said, stating the obvious. “You have to bring more than just size, power and speed. You have to bring a lot of things to the table when it comes to fighting.”
If Keyshawn thought size didn’t matter, why didn’t he move up from 135 to 147 to face IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis for the title? He wasted his time trying to challenge Frank Martin and Teofimo Lopez, but why didn’t he take his word for it and show the boxing world that size doesn’t matter by taking the fight with Boots?
Unfortunately for Keyshawn, size matters in boxing, which is why we don’t see many fighters jumping up a few weight classes to take risky fights. The only time we see fighters doing that is when they see a vulnerable fighter they are confident they can beat.
“I think he [Crawford] can knock Canelo out for sure, and if he does, it’s going to be crazy,” Keyshawn said of his gym buddy Terence. “If he knocks that guy out [Madrimov] is coming, it’s gonna be crazy. This guy is a youthful, hungry lion. This guy is not coming to lay down.”
If Gennady Golovkin couldn’t knock Canelo out, then Crawford won’t, especially if he fights defensively, moves, lands punches, clinches and fights all night long like we’ve seen in the past.
Crawford is simply moving up in weight to fight Canelof or get a payday he doesn’t deserve, and it would be completely unfair to the contenders lining up at 168 pounds if he had any hope of winning.
“This guy comes in and he’s got a real IQ. This guy can really fight. So Terence is going to box him, which he’s going to do. Terence is going to knock him out, which he’s going to do; it’s going to be crazy. This fight is crazy even for him,” Keyshawn said.
We don’t know what Crawford will do in the Madrimov fight, as he’s fighting at a modern weight class of 154, has been out of action for 13 months and turns 37 in September. All we know is that Crawford has defeated a faded Errol Spence and a few other welterweights who were either on the way out or average. He wants to set himself up for a payday with a fight with Canelo before he retires.
“Terence is going to be the smaller guy in this fight. So he’s probably not going to be as aggressive. He’s probably going to catch this guy when he comes. This guy has an Eastern European style. Terence’s seen that before. With a bigger guy like that, who’s a puncher, he’s going to be more defensive,” Keyshawn said.
Crawford will land punches on Madrimov as he comes in, but whether he can avoid getting pinned is another matter. Even in the fights where Crawford dominated, he got hit a lot, and he wasn’t a guy with Madrimov’s size and strength, who at his age had been out for 13 months.
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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