Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31) will have his work cut out for him when he moves up yet another weight class to face WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov 10-0-1 (7) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California on August 3.
That’s the view of Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, the longtime trainer of the 36-year-old southpaw from Omaha, Nebraska.
Crawford will be gunning for a world title in his fourth weight class after previously holing the WBO lightweight title and the undisputed championships in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions.
Uzbekistan’s Madrimov, 29, boxes out of Indio, California. He won the vacant WBA title in his last outing with a fifth-round knockout of previously undefeated Russian Magomed Kurbanov 25-1 (13) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in March. The vacant WBO interim title will also be on the line when he faces Crawford.
“Those guys from overseas, they’re just as hungry as American fighters are. Coming over here to fight a fighter like Terence [is huge]. You beat a fighter like Crawford, you hit the jackpot,” said trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre to FightHype.
“We understand that wholeheartedly that guys come over here, getting their chance, trying to feed their families, make history for themselves and be at the top of the world. We understand that and we’re well-prepared for it.
“I watched some of his fights. The dude is tough as shit and you can’t sleep on this kid.
“He wants it too. You can tell he wants it. I met him and his team a couple of weeks ago. They’re serious about this. That’s just going to make us better.
“Madrimov is our biggest challenge right now. We can’t sleep on the dude. The dude is pretty damn good.”
There has been talk up Crawford jumping up further in weight to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 61-2-2 (39). The 33-year-old Mexican superstar has shown little appetite for the fight so far, but that could change if Saudi Arabian kingmaker Turki Alalshikh gets involved in negotiations.
For now though, McIntyre says their sole focus is on Madrimov.
“Bud has got it in him [to defeat Canelo]. I can see him doing it. Is it a challenge for him? Of course. Is it a challenge for the whole team? Of course, but that’s what we’re in the business for, being great,” McIntyre said to Fight Hub TV.
“My mind is on Madrimov.”
When Crawford steps into the ring to face Madrimov, he will be having his first fight in over year following his ninth-round knockout victory over Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas last July that saw him crowned the undisputed welterweight champion of the world.
Crawford’s last 18 fights dating back more than a decade have all be for world titles. All bar two have ended in stoppage victories. He is currently riding an 11 fight knockout streak.
