Arguable pound-for-pound number one Terence Crawford is set to take centre stage this weekend in pursuit of a world title in a fourth weight-class and a fourth victory over an Eddie Hearn-promoted fighter, but he will have his work cut out for him against reigning champion Israil Madrimov. As the tension builds ahead of fight night, Crawford made a beeline for the British promoter, telling Hearn that he has ‘disrespected’ his greatest ever champion.
Crawford has been inactive for over twelve months now, although that last outing was undeniably a generational one, stopping Errol Spence in emphatic style to become the undisputed welterweight champion. Now, ‘Bud’ seeks to prove that he is the best fighter on the planet once again, as he steps up to 154ls to take on Madrimov for the WBA super-welterweight crown.
This being just the Uzbek’s twelfth professional contest, many are overlooking the champion, although a solid amateur pedigree that consists of two wins over each of Arlen Lopez and Osleys Iglesias prove that the European will be no walk in the park, and Eddie Hearn has maintained that this will be Crawford’s toughest test to date.
With fight week now underway, Crawford and Hearn collided at the BMO Stadium, where the undefeated American boasted of his three wins against fighters promoted by the Briton, an accolade that Hearn quickly disregarded and in doing so disrespected, in the opinion of the 40-0 superstar, as captured in a clip posted by Turki Al-Alshikh.
Why Eddie didn't take the $700 🤷🏻♂️😎 pic.twitter.com/jHnybyDiaF
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) July 29, 2024
TC: “I am 3-0 against you, sir.”
EH: “That doesn’t matter, one of them was against Ricky Burns, you was 135lbs.”
TC: “That was your best champion, why would you disrespect your best champion?”
EH: “That was your hardest fight, 115-113, it should have been a draw. Did you see the scorecards?”
TC: “Where is Ricky at? I like Ricky, dude.”
EH: “So do I, 115-113, you robbed him in Scotland!”
TC: “You are disrespectful, I robbed him? You know that is your best champion ever, hands down. Who was more accomplished than Ricky Burns?”
EH: “Carl Froch was alright, Anthony Joshua – no. Anthony Joshua – no, and that is my boy.”
Crawford challenged Scotland’s Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight title in his own backyard in Glasgow in 2014, picking up the first world honour of his career. Fast-forward ten years and Crawford is headlining one of the strongest cards in the history of the United States as he gears up to take on Madrimov on August 3rd at the home of Los Angeles FC.
He tops a bill that features a further two world title clashes, as well as the return of Andy Ruiz and Andy Cruz, and an salivating heavyweight match-up between Jared Anderson and Martin Bakole.
The event will be available to watch live on DAZN pay-per-view, with ringwalks for the main-event expected to take place around 4:30 a.m. BST.
Boxing Social is now on WhatsApp! Join our channel by clicking here and getting all the latest boxing news direct to your phone.