Followers need to know if Terence Crawford can be excited by dealing with IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev in a unification battle following his third-round obliteration of Tim Tszyu final Saturday evening on the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.
(Credit score: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) holds the WBA 154-lb title that he just lately gained towards Israil Madrimov, and he’d deliberate on combating WBC/WBO champion Sebastian Fundora. That battle fell off when the WBO permitted Fundora to make a voluntary protection towards Errol Spence subsequent.
Will Crawford battle Murtazaliev?
Followers are ready for Crawford to point out some braveness by calling out Murtazaliev and placing collectively what can be a large unification battle. Informal boxing followers on social media imagine that Crawford would simply beat Murtazaliev, however I don’t see it that method.
Crawford is now with out an opponent, and combating Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) would take advantage of sense if he have been courageous sufficient to battle him. That’s a dangerous battle for Crawford as a result of Murtazaliev punches as onerous, if not tougher, than ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov, however he’s extra aggressive, throws energy photographs with each palms, and has a excessive punch output. In some ways, Murtazaliev is extra formidable than Madrimov.
It’s unlikely that Crawford, 37, will comply with battle Murtazaliev as a result of he’s much more harmful than his final opponent, Madrimov, and he barely gained that battle earlier this yr on August third. Crawford clearly is aware of that if he fought Murtazaliev, there can be a great probability that he’d get knocked out.
Even when Crawford fought in a safety-first method, Murtazaliev would catch as much as him to knock a couple of chips off of him. Going 12 rounds towards Murtaaliev can be a punishing match, and it wouldn’t matter if Crawford ran the whole evening. Murtazaliev would get to him sufficient to inflict a variety of injury. He’d expose Crawford’s superior age.
“There’s no proof that he gained’t be averted once more. The one good factor he has is he has a title. So, as a result of he has a title, he can simply keep energetic, combating individuals within the ranks with the IBF and dominating, furthering his fan base and additional exhibiting us what he brings to the 154 division, however does Bud need Bakhram? Does Bud take that battle?” stated Keith Thurman to Thaboxingvoice, questioning whether or not Terence Crawford would need to problem IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Sadly, Thurman is correct about Murtazaliev prone to be averted, and Crawford can be one of many many fighters at 154 that wouldn’t need something to do with him. Crawford nonetheless has the hopeless dream of combating Canelo Alvarez, which is rarely going to occur. It’s like wishing for the tooth fairy to seem to depart him a greenback underneath his pillow. That battle isn’t occurring for Crawford on this lifetime. I want he’d get up and get a clue already.
Murtazaliev Scaring Away Fighters
“Who actually needs it and takes it and says, ‘That’s my subsequent opponent.’ Does Bakhram keep in his IBF lane, defending his title? He says he has to remain in his lane till one other door opens as much as do one other nice battle on this division on this planet of boxing. However proper now, he’s acquired a variety of us excited,” stated Thurman.
Crawford ought to take the battle towards Murtazaliev to point out followers that he’s not afraid and work in the direction of the objective of turning into undisputed champion at 154. Followers might respect that as a result of Crawford would keep busy, combating an out there champion and [putting himself in a position to become the undisputed champion if he were to win and then defeat Fundora for the last two belts. If Murtazaliev was an easy mark, Crawford would likely be eager to fight him, but that’s not the case.
