Las Vegas.- There was a bigger prize on the table for Terence Crawford’s WBA Super Welterweight world title fight against Israil Madrimov.
Crawford was attempting to retain his crown as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, remain undefeated, and become a four-division champion, all of which he accomplished with a decision win on Saturday.
All of that pales in comparison to the prospect of a superfight against Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, one that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Crawford and elevate his standing in the sport.
“Canelo, we’re ready to (fight in) February,” said Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian politician and financier who was behind the Crawford-Madrimov fight card. “Crawford is ready. He’s on board.”
The financial muscle to make the fight happen exists, but Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) wasn’t reconsidering the sporting merit after a closer-than-expected result against Madrimov.
Crawford stopped his opponents in 11 consecutive bouts, but that streak ended in his first fight at 154 pounds. Madrimov was able to handle and match Crawford’s power, making the fight a shrewdly tactical one.
Having to move up in weight again to face the bigger Alvarez, who will defend his super middleweight title against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas, could be a step too far.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter who represents Madrimov and who previously worked with Alvarez, described a potential matchup with Alvarez at 168 pounds as a “huge leap” for Crawford.
Madrimov agreed that the size disparity might be too much for Crawford to overcome.
“It depends on what weight they fight at, but if they fight at the weight class Canelo is currently fighting at, I think it would be very difficult for Crawford,” Madrimov said through his manager, Vadim Kornilov.
Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre said his fighter would need an athletic boost for a fight against Alvarez.
“Get those legs in shape, man, because you’ve got to move. You’re going to need side-to-side movement against Canelo,” McIntyre said.
Those concerns might be what makes the fight enticing for Crawford. The Omaha, Nebraska, native has long clashed with conventional logic in the fight game, perhaps to his detriment early in his career.
Now 36, Crawford is in position to be the centerpiece of the sport. That could come against Alvarez, but Alalshikh also backs Crawford and unbeaten Vergil Ortiz Jr. at 154 pounds as an equally intriguing fight should Alvarez decline.
McIntyre mentioned a possible fight with Sebastian Fundora, who holds the WBC and WBO super welterweight belts.
“You know Terence is almost done, so he’s reaffirming his legacy,” McIntyre said when asked about Crawford’s next opponent.
And for a boxer who has largely been overshadowed by the likes of Alvarez, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao throughout his career, the structure of the event at BMO Stadium, which included a pre-fight concert by rapper Eminem, was seemingly designed to establish Crawford at that level.
Hearns believes a little of that magic dust fell on Madrimov, a 29-year-old from Uzbekistan, during his inspired performance.
“We would have preferred to win, but Israil Madrimov’s stock has risen globally and the future is very bright,” Hearns said.
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