In his super-welterweight debut on Saturday night in Los Angeles, 36-year-old American Terence Crawford beat Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision to reclaim the WBA belt, clinching a world title in a fourth weight class. He remains unbeaten after 41 fights.
Eminem’s mini-concert, fireworks over Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium as Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov arrived, legends Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez and Scottie Pippen in the front rows, and images of the Saudi Arabian landscape – the Kingdom was financing the event – projected on the big screens. With this kind of pre-fight spectacle, the audience was expecting a little more in the ring on Saturday.
So the whistles were heard for the first few rounds, when Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov spent a lot of time facing each other, without offering much other than their footwork and waving gloves.
For the American, accustomed to recording a lot of data on his opponents at the start of a fight, this was all the more predictable given that he was discovering super-welters (under 69.853 kilos). The Uzbek’s mistrust was also understandable, given that he was up against one of the world’s top three boxers, already crowned lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight champion.
A Close fight
Madrimov’s punches (10 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw) were the most impressive, with sweat dripping from Crawford’s face on a left to the ear in the fourth, or violent right jabs in the 8th and 9th rounds. But the boxer from Omaha (the name of his town was written in gold letters on the back of his shorts) landed the best combinations with, for example, four shots to the head in the fourth or two uppercuts in a row in the twelfth.
Evidently, all three judges preferred this, each feeling that Crawford had won (116-112, 115-113, 115-113). The 116-112 scores (four rounds apart) do not reflect how close the fight was. Eddie Hearn, Madrimov’s promoter, took it upon himself to point this out once the boxers had left the ring.
« I deserve a rematch »
Israil Madrimov
« Israil (Madrimov) was a tough, strong, durable opponent. He put in some good moves. He’s got quick feet, he’s very disciplined »
Terence Crawford
«He is strong, I’m not going to lie »
Terence Crawford
« I thought I’d done enough, I was comfortable in the ring, I was in control of the fight. Maybe I made a few mistakes, but I deserve a rematch. »
Madrimov said, bearing an obvious mark under his left eye.
But Crawford is more interested in Canelo Alvarez.
« If the money’s there, we have to fight! Right now, I’m going to go home to my family and relax. It’s not that a fight against Canelo is important to me. But it’s another step towards greatness and financial wisdom. »
Terence Crawford
If the Mexican, the most bankable star of the noble art, refuses the Saudi offer, Vergil Ortiz is another option.
The other fights :
Andy Cruz-Antonio Moran: duel on the ropes
On the opening day of the pay-per-view and in an almost deserted BMO Stadium, Andy Cruz, Olympic lightweight champion in Tokyo, had a bit of a scare. In the fourth round, the Cuban wobbled after a blow to the ear from Antonio Moran, less talented but more experienced with 43 professional fights (now with seven defeats and one draw), compared to Cruz’s three outings. He recovered and only the ropes saved the Mexican from collapsing on a combination on the seventh occasion. The referee checked to see if Moran could continue. He could barely stand. The fight was over. Cruz’s record now stands at four wins and zero losses.
David Morrell-Radivoje Kalajdzic: unanimous victory
A knockout is what’s expected of David Morrell every time he appears in the ring (9 in 10 fights), even for his first middleweight fight. He shook Radivoje Kalajdzic (29 wins, 3 losses) several times (3rd, 8th, 11th) but the tattooed Serbian held his nerve. The Cuban won by unanimous decision (118-110, 117-111, 117-111) and repeated that he wanted to face David Benavidez.
« Everyone says it’s the bogeyman. I’m not afraid »
David Morrell
Martin Bakolé-Jared Anderson: back to the gym
“I planned it, I said it and I did it”.
Martin Bakolé
Martin Bakolé had indeed announced a knockout, and got it after just five rounds.
A spectacular victory over American Jared Anderson, unbeaten when he entered the ring (17-0, 15 K.-O.). But that was before he found himself up against the Congolese (21 wins, 1 loss, 16 K.-O.), terrifying in his power and resistance to blows, who extinguished fifteen of the Toledo heavyweight’s opponents.
“I’m a machine. I can take a punch for twelve rounds.”
Martin Bakolé
He can give some, too. With his long arms, every impact left the impression that “The Real Big Baby”, Anderson’s nickname, was going to end up on the mat. It happened in the very first round, diverted by an uppercut. And twice more in the fifth. The American almost fell out of the ring. Unable to react once up, the referee stopped the fight.
“I made mistakes. I didn’t listen to my corner. You win, you lose. Now I’ve lost. Back to the room”.
Jared Anderson
He also rightly pointed out that, at the age of 24, he had accepted to face a man that many other more experienced boxers would do anything to avoid. It’s understandable.
Andy Ruiz-Jarell Miller : « Let’s go Andy ! »
The other heavyweight duel – twelve long rounds of hand-to-hand action – was far less exciting. The BMO Stadium crowd was nevertheless delighted to see Andy Ruiz (36 wins, 2 losses) back in the ring, 23 months after his victory over Luis Ortiz. Facing him was Jarrell Miller, no more athletic than the “Destroyer”, but the enthusiastic “Let’s go Andy!” at the start of the fight were replaced by “Wake up Andy”.
Rather active until the sixth round, targeting Miller’s head, Ruiz soon seemed out of breath. Perhaps the rust of the ring, perhaps the lack of preparation of a boxer not renowned for his zeal in training, or more likely the consequences of an injury to his right hand in the fifth round. The two men, friends in life, ended in a draw.
Miller (26 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw) didn’t seem to agree, and neither did “His Excellency” Turki al-Sheikh, the man who signs the cheques. Not that the former world champion’s performance made him want to invite him to other major events.
Isaac Cruz-José Valenzuela
With his aggressive style – high guard, arched back and constant pressure – Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (26 wins, 3 losses, one draw) seemed to have the edge with the crowd support and slow-motion replays on the big screens, foreshadowing an easy defense of his WBA super-lightweight belt. However, José Valenzuela (14 wins, 2 losses) allowed Cruz to lead the fight, absorbing sometimes brutal blows while being clever in his counter-attacks. “All we had to do was be clever,” he said after the decision went in his favor (116-112, 116-112, 113-115). At 25, this Mexican-American is crowned world champion.
« I have no words. This is for my mother and father, for all their sacrifices »
Isaac Cruz
« I’m not going to say anything. The audience’s reaction says it all ».
Isaac Cruz
