FORMER undisputed welterweight champion and Boxing News pound-for-pound number one Terence Crawford will make his return to the ring on August 3.
At the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, a 36-year-old fighter moves up in weight from 147lbs to 154lbs to confront WBA super-welterweight champion Israil Madrimov, who holds a record of 10-0-1 (7).
The undisputed heavyweight title clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is being orchestrated by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. Alalshikh, along with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, is responsible for the promotion of this event. With his influential role, Alalshikh has successfully revitalized the heavyweight division, making him a prominent figure in the boxing world.
After his remarkable victory over Errol Spence Jr. on July 29, 2023, where he asserted his dominance and secured the welterweight crown, Crawford, with an impressive record of 40 wins and no losses, has taken a break from the boxing ring. This highly anticipated match turned out to be a lopsided affair, with Spence being knocked down three times before ultimately being defeated in the ninth round. Crawford’s triumph not only solidified his position as the welterweight champion but also marked his second time as an undisputed champion, following his previous accomplishments at the super-lightweight division in 2017, three years after his initial world title win at lightweight.
After his success at welterweight, Crawford suggested a shift to 154lbs as he aimed for a highly-anticipated clash against Jermell Charlo, the undisputed champion. Regrettably, Charlo missed out on this opportunity as he opted to challenge Canelo Alvarez, the reigning super-middleweight champion, despite moving up two weight classes. Their bout took place in September, with Alvarez emerging victorious through a unanimous decision. Unfortunately, the fight failed to live up to its potential.
Sebastian Fundora now holds the WBC and WBO belts at 154lbs, while Bakhram Murtazaliev holds the IBF belt and Madrimov holds the WBA belt. During the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou undercard last month, Madrimov emerged victorious and claimed the vacant title by convincingly defeating Magomed Kurbanov in the fifth round. Despite only having 11 fights in a span of five-and-a-half years, the talented Kazakh fighter, who is promoted by Eddie Hearn, demonstrated his exceptional skills against Kurbanov, who proved to be no match for him.
On the all-star August 3 card, there are several exciting matches scheduled. One of them features former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr, who is aiming to revive his career as he takes on his friend Jarrell Miller. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will be defending his WBA super-lightweight title against Jose Valenzuela, while David Morrell, a highly-regarded fighter, will be competing against Radivoje Kaljdzic for the “Regular” WBA light-heavyweight strap. Additionally, lightweight sensation Andy Cruz will be facing Antonio Moran, with the full support of Eddie Hearn, who believes Cruz will be ready to contend for a world title by 2024.
If Vergil Ortiz Jr remains unharmed after his fight against Thomas Dulorme this Saturday (April 27), a possible Fight of the Year candidate could be between super-welterweights Tim Tszyu and Vergil Ortiz Jr.
