Last week, as the buzz built for a future showdown between Terence Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Crawford refused to engage in it. Yes, Crawford said, Alvarez represented a legacy fight, a once-unlikely showdown between two pound-for-pound greats. But Crawford needed to get through Israil Madrimov first.
Crawford did, edging Madrimov last Saturday by unanimous decision (UD). Madrimov, a decorated amateur with just 11 pro fights, was a handful. His steady diet of feints made him difficult to time and his long power jab forced the frequently switching Crawford to fight southpaw most of the night. Entering the 11th round, Crawford was tied on two of the three judges’ scorecards. He needed to sweep both to win—and did just that.
