LOS ANGELES — Terence Crawford won a hard-fought unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov at BMO Stadium on Saturday to capture the WBA junior middleweight title.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), ESPN’s No. 2 boxer regardless of weight class, won 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 to become the four-division champion. ESPN scored the fight 115-114 in the ring.
It was Crawford’s first fight inside the distance since July 2016, when he defeated Viktor Postol for the 140-pound title. Crawford, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, who turns 37 next month, entered the ring riding an 11-fight knockout streak.
“Israil was a tough opponent,” Crawford said. “I knew he was going to be tough. … He’s really robust, tough, landed a lot of good shots and took me to round 12. … He had quick feet, good rhythm up top. … He was waiting to counter me, just like I was trying to counter him.”
“He was disciplined; he didn’t throw wild punches like I expected. And he fought a good fight.”
The fight was tactical from bell to bell and featured many hard-to-score rounds. Crawford showed the better jab with his precise right hook. Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KO) landed the cleaner, more effective punches. However, the fight lacked coherent exchanges.
The pair rarely threw combinations, opting instead to throw one punch at a time. Madrimov’s best weapon was the right hook, and he missed with the same punch many times.
Crawford always times his opponent sooner rather than later. Not tonight. Madrimov’s awkward, jerky movement caused Crawford problems throughout the fight.
Madrimov, 29, was able to keep his head off the line and presented a challenging target for Crawford’s shots. However, Crawford was able to score points with his elite jab. He was trailing by two points entering the championship rounds and won both by unanimous decision.
“Because he’s fighting Terence Crawford, he doesn’t get a single punch thrown,” said Madrimov’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. “Israil Madrimov landed all the real punches. … It was a super close fight. … It was a fight that could have gone either way.”
Madrimov said he felt he had done enough to win.
“I fought the best in every weight class today,” he said through an interpreter. “I held back a lot too, so I can do more in the rematch.”
Madrimov may have been referring to his hesitation to attack Crawford even when he had him pinned in the corner. This happened multiple times as Madrimov faked and faked some more.
Madrimov came out of the fight with a immense mouse under his left eye, the result of a precise punch from Crawford. Madrimov came out of it with something much more valuable: respect.
Madrimov was a +600 underdog, according to ESPN BET, but he proved he could hold his own at an elite level with a earnest jump in competition. It’s unlikely he’ll land a rematch, but he’ll certainly appear in more significant fights.
Crawford, of course, is at a different stage in his career. He told ESPN in April that he didn’t plan on fighting much longer. After Saturday’s fight, Crawford admitted he felt a difference in his debut at 154 pounds.
Perhaps just as essential as the win was Crawford’s return to the ring. He last fought twice in a year in 2019. He had a rematch with Errol Spence Jr. last year, but it didn’t happen despite Spence invoking his rematch clause.
That robbed Crawford of the opportunity to build on his career-defining victory, a nine-round demolition of Spence last July, to capture the undisputed welterweight title in one of the most anticipated fights in years.
World Boxing News brings you live results from the Usyk vs Fury 2 event with the unified heavyweight title at stake in Saudi Arabia.
Oleksandr Usyk defends his WBC, WBO and WBA belts as the Ukrainian fights for back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury. Fury was almost knocked out by Usyk in May and will seek revenge at the Kingdom Arena.
WBN will also score the main event based on a live scorecard from the first to the last bell.
Live scores of the Usyk-Fury match
Andriy Nowicki defeated Edgar Ramirez by unanimous decision. The score was 100-90 and 98-92 twice, and the Ukrainian moved to 14-0, 10 KOs.
Joshua Ocampo lost in the preliminary fight Muhammad Alakel who scored a unanimous decision to enhance it to 2-0.
Other attacks
MAIN EVENT: WBC WORLD, WBO WORLD, WBA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE – 12 ROUNDS Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury Shypyntsi, Ukraine Lancashire, UK 22-0 (14 KOs) 34-1-1 (24 KOs) 226 lbs 281 lbs
Airy middleweight fight (154 pounds) – 12 rounds Serhii Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Yorkshire, UK 24-2 (23 KOs) 13-1 (6 KOs) 153.1 lbs 153.6 lbs
Heavyweight fight (201+ pounds) – 10 rounds Johnny Fisher vs. David Allen London, UK Yorkshire, UK 12-0 (11 KOs) 23-6, 18 KOs 241.1 lbs 257.6 lbs
INTERNATIONAL SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT COMPETITION – 10 ROUNDS Peter McGrail vs. Rhys Edwards 10-1 (6 KOs) / 16-0 (4 KOs) Liverpool, UK / Merseyside, UK 129.8 lbs / 129.1 lbs
Fight for the WBA CONTINENTAL USA featherweight title (130 pounds) – 10 ROUNDS Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor Lancashire, UK Edinburgh, Scotland 25-2-3 (8 KOs) 14-1-1 (11 KOs) 125.1 lbs 125.9 lbs
WBA CONTINENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS – 10 ROUNDS Dylan Colin Vs. Daniel Łapina Meurthe-et-Moselle, France / Wrocław, Poland 14-0 (4 KOs) / 10-0 (4 KOs)
Information about the Usyk vs Fury match on TV and PPV
Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury and the full undercard are available exclusively at DAZN Pay-Per-View (PPV) events worldwide. They cost £24.99 in the UK and $39.95 in the US and no DAZN subscription is required.
The PPV also includes a seven-day free trial of the entire DAZN platform. Usyk vs. Fury and all DAZN content can be watched anywhere, on any device via the DAZN app.
For more information and to purchase the fight, visit www.dazn.com.
Tyson Fury isn’t holding back on his desire for revenge against Oleksandr Usyk as the pair collided on Saturday night.
Fury aims to win the unified heavyweight title for the first time in nine years when he faces current champion Usyk six months after his first loss to the Ukrainian.
As the pair completed media formalities for the superfight, Fury made it clear how the fight would end.
“For the record, I’m going to absolutely annihilate this motherfucker on Saturday night. No pension. I will neat them all and he will be the first,” Fury assured.
Asked if he would try to do to Usyk what he did to Deontay Wilder in the rematch, Fury replied: “It was a long time ago” in reference to the 2020 knockout.
“[I’m] I’m not sure [if that Tyson Fury is there anymore]. Perhaps it has evaporated. Who knows? The legs may disappear. China may no longer exist. Boxing skills can be shot. We’ll find out on the 21st. That’s why you need to tune in to the pay-per-view on DAZN. Come and see whether the venerable dance master still understands it or not.
Referring to the training camp in Malta, Fury added: “[The] The weather is different, of course, but training is training, no matter where you are. These are very mundane, routine things. This happens again and again.
“For me, it doesn’t really matter where the camp is. I’ve attended camps in Vegas, Spain, everywhere, and I’m one of those people who doesn’t get distracted and gets the job done anyway. That’s what I do.
“If I were to train in a nightclub, I wouldn’t dance around the disco in the evening. I would just train.
Information about the Usyk vs Fury match
Former interim WBC 154-pound titleholder Serhii Bohachuk [24-2, 23 KOs] Now he will face British boxer Ishmael Davis [13-1, 6 KOs] in a 12-round super welterweight fight after Israil Madrimov was forced to withdraw due to illness.
Rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma [22-0, 10 KOs] and his opponent, Australian Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KO), are ready to fight. Undefeated Johnny Fisher [12-0, 11 KOs[ squares off against former Commonwealth title challenger Dave Allen [23-6, 18 KOs].
Meanwhile, former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Peter McGrail [10-1, 6 KOs] takes over from Rhys Edwards at the last minute [16-0, 4 KOs] in a super featherweight fight. Isaac Lowe is also on the bill [25-2-3, 8 KOs[ will face Lee McGregor [14-1-1, 11 KOs] in a featherweight fight.
Daniel Lapin completes the card [10-0, 4 KOs]in which he will face another undefeated lightweight champion prospect, Dylan Colin [14-0, 4 KOs]and heavyweight knockout artist Andrii Novytskyi [14-0, 10 KOs] will face Edgar Ramirez [10-1-1, 4 KOs].
As is the tradition of the season, Riyad will feature local talent as Mohammed Alakel looks for a 2-0 win over Joshua Ocampo [8-33-5, 6 KOs].
Broadcast of the Usyk vs Fury match this Saturday on DAZN PPV.
Fighting for the first time with the full support of his promoter, Salita Promotions, undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor later said he was confident and confident he could do well in boxing.
Taylor (5-0, 3 KO), 28, defeated KeShawn Jackson last Thursday night in Flint, Michigan, fighting in an exhibition put on by his promoter in which he recorded an impressive third-round stoppage to finish his 2024 campaign on a high. year note.
“It was good to fight on a bigger stage, in a compact arena, in a nice atmosphere,” Taylor said about his first fight with a promotional contract. “My manager, Keith Sullivan, supported me by agreeing to sign with Salita Promotions. He talked to several promoters, but we felt that Dimitri Salita would be the right candidate for me.
“I felt like I had succeeded; I felt essential, but that was just the beginning. It was the same on fight night, I felt respect and appreciation from the entire Salita promotional company. My goal is to be a more recognizable player and be recognized by the fans. I’m hungry to perform in the coming year.”
“Four knockdowns were counted. I really hurt him with a body shot and when he felt my power he was done. I threw a barrage of punches into the corner (ss photo below) and he tried to hit me with a windmill punch. Then I hit him with a check hook, which ended the fight. He (Jackson) didn’t want to get knocked out, so he tried to show he was still fighting.”
“Of course,” Sullivan commented, “I’m joyful with the victory. This was another developmental fight and Pryce is learning and developing as a fighter. We had a busy year with 8 fights scheduled and 5 that actually crossed the line, so it was a very good first year for him as a pro. Right after that, I talked to Dimitri to arrange the next fight. We hope to have it scheduled in the coming weeks.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Taylor wants his next fight to be a six-rounder scheduled for his next outing, then move up to eight to fight for the junior title.
“I will now train to play 10 rounds,” Taylor concluded, “so that I will be ready when it comes time to play 12 rounds.”
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