In an in depth affair, Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) captured his fourth division world title, dethroning WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs_ by a slim 12-round unanimous choice on Saturday evening in entrance of a sold-out BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
It was a combat that might have been scored as a draw, however the judges gave it to the famous person Crawford with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113. It was a defensive battle all through, and the combat didn’t warmth up till the twelfth spherical.
The followers booed them continuously, beginning within the fourth spherical as a result of lack of motion. They needed to see an entertaining matchup for his or her hard-earned cash. As an alternative, they noticed two calculated, extremely expert counter-punchers, Crawford and Madrimov, ready for the right second to throw.
Madrimov’s Early Success
Madrimov appeared to win 5 of the primary six rounds primarily based on his cleaner, more durable pictures. Within the second half, Crawford got here on and appeared to edge lots of the rounds together with his aggression. They have been shut and almost not possible to attain.
Crawford wound up with a swollen proper eye. For his half, Madrimov had a bruise below his left eye. Neither fighter was harm or knocked down within the contest. Crawford’s 11-fight knockout streak ended tonight, and he wasn’t going to press his luck pushing for a KO towards Madrimov after tasting his energy early on. That’s why he was combating cautiously. He didn’t need to get knocked out by ‘Little GGG.”
Madrimov was sad with the outcomes, saying he felt he deserved the victory, and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, agreed with him. He noticed it as a theft and complained bitterly afterward.
You’ll be able to’t blame both of them as a result of it was an in depth match that might have gone both approach.
Canelo on the Horizon?
It simply so occurs that the judges gave it to the extra standard fighter Crawford, who has a possible combat towards Canelo Alvarez subsequent 12 months if His Excellency Turki Alalashik can entice the Mexican star to agree.
Crawford’s efficiency tonight seemingly wasn’t sufficient to persuade Canelo to combat him as a result of he was too defensive and confirmed how he would combat him. Madrimov appeared like a Canelo stand-in together with his stocky construct, highly effective pot pictures, and low work fee.
