Terence Crawford added more accolades to his already historic career on Saturday by defeating WBA super-welterweight champion Israil Madrimov to become a four-weight world champion.
Crawford (40-0-0 31 KO) inflicted a first professional defeat on Madrimov (10-1-1 7 KO), getting the decision on all three judges’ scorecards following a competitive and compact bout at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Barely a moment had passed for ‘Bud’ to revel in his latest accomplishment before he was asked about the prospect of a mega-fight against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – the other era-defining fighter of this generation.
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Without being overly committal, Crawford said he would be interested in a showdown with the Mexican, insisting the additional weight wouldn’t be a problem, and that it would all come down to money. “You know what I say, if the money is right, we got a fight,” he said in the ring.
Crawford Struggled To Carry Power At 154
Fans might be excited about the prospect of Saudi Arabian boxing boss Turki Alalshikh waving his magic wand and making this fight happen, but in reality, it’s a terrible idea – and Saturday’s bout against Madrimov showed precisely why.
While Crawford deservedly got the victory and Madrimov deserves a lot of credit for being so competitive against a pound-for-pound superstar, ‘Bud’ caught him with enough good shots – his uppercut was particularly effective – that would have sent most previous opponents to the canvas. Madrimov barely moved.
Perhaps the Uzbek has a particularly strong chin, but it was clear that Crawford’s power had not quite carried up to super-welterweight. He showed he has the size and height for the division, and he obviously has the skill and craft, so there is no reason not to expect him to become the undisputed world champion at 154lbs.
But if his power is not quite as effective at 154lbs against a fighter like Madrimov, how can we expect Crawford to be competitive at 168lbs against a beast like Canelo, who is pound-for-pound one of the hardest punchers on the planet and possesses a famously iron chin?
Canelo Weight Difference Too Great
Remember, Crawford won his first world title at lightweight, a full 33lbs lighter than the division where Canelo is the unified champion. Even the weight difference between the division in which he most recently became undisputed – welterweight – is 22lbs. That is still a big difference.
Alvarez, who has been calling his own shots for years now, will have zero interest in dropping pounds and meeting Crawford at catchweight, so it would be super-middleweight or nothing.
It just seems, following the display against Madrimov, that this fight should remain a fantasy – one fans can discuss and debate like they would over fighters from different eras.
Crawford, approaching his 37th birthday in September, couldn’t be blamed for thinking about the money. He only has a few fights left to maximize his earnings, and there’s no bigger money-maker than a bout with Canelo. Win or lose, who cares? He’s already assured of his place in the Hall of Fame.
More History Awaits Crawford Without Fighting Canelo
Yet, there are intriguing challenges beyond a lucrative mismatch against Alvarez. With all due respect to the remaining super-welterweight world champions, Crawford would fancy his chances against both. IBF belt holder Bakhram Murtazaliev should pose few problems, while a unification bout against Sebastian Fundora – his fellow American who has the WBC and WBO straps – would be a great fight to watch.
The opportunity to become the first fighter in history to become a three-weight undisputed world champion must be of some motivation to Crawford. Even one more step up to middleweight wouldn’t be beyond him, considering the lack of quality in the 160lbs division.
Only five fighters in history can call themselves five-weight world champions: Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao. Crawford has every opportunity to join the club.
Further greatness awaits Crawford without getting involved in a circus fight against Canelo.
