Terence Crawford moves up in weight once again Saturday night, this time to take on WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The vacant WBO interim title will also be on the line. This matchup epitomizes the classic formula of a pound-for-pound king moving up in weight to take on a bigger challenge. Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), a three-division world champion, has dominated several divisions and become undisputed champion in two weight classes, a feat achieved by only two others, Oleksander Usyk and Claressa Shields, in the four-belt era.
Madrimov, 29, of Uzbekistan, has had an impressive career as well. Although he has had only 11 fights as a professional, he was an outstanding amateur, with two victories over switch-hitting Arlen Lopez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for Cuba (2016 and 2020). That experience could help Madrimov in this fight, as Crawford is one of the best switch-hitters in boxing.
Given Crawford's elite track record, it's tempting to predict a TKO victory for him. But the essence of boxing lies in its unpredictability. Crawford's move to yet another new weight class comes against a tough power puncher. Anything can happen when two devastating punchers meet inside the ropes.
Will Crawford's power, counterpunching and experience be too much for Madrimov? Can Madrimov's disciplined style force Crawford to make mistakes? Here's a look at how the junior middleweight matchup could play out.
