Promoter Eddie Hearn doesn't think Terence Crawford can beat his next opponent, WBA junior middleweight champion Ismail Madrimov, on August 3.
Hearn noted that Crawford's mind is on the fight against Canelo Alvarez and not on the hard-hitting Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs).
Crawford's problems:
- Year: At 36 years old, Crawford is nearing the end of his career.
- Inactive: Crawford is set to return from a 13-month break on Aug. 3, which could impact his performance against Madrimov.
- New Weight Classes: 154 will be Crawford's first fight since his return.
- Spotlight on Canelo: Hearn believes Crawford has Canelo in mind, which will weaken him for the Madrimov fight, and given the huge payday Crawford stands to make for the Canelo fight, it would be impossible to keep Madrimov in mind.
Even if the 36-year-old Crawford were 100 percent focused on the Madrimov fight, he could still lose. Crawford's age, inactivity and fighting in a new weight class could all contribute to the defeat, but that's a stretch given that Crawford and his team are focused on the Canelo fight.
Madrimov: A tough opponent
If Crawford hadn’t been so overconfident and in such a desperate rush to cash in on Canelo’s payday, he would have eased into the 154-pound division slowly, with a few transition fights to get comfortable in the division before taking on the killer puncher Madrimov.
But Crawford wants the big payday against Canelo, and that means turning 37 in September and having to skip the prerequisite steps that he and most other people his age would take, dealing with a new weight class and a 13-month hiatus.
“Jaron fights in two weeks and I'd like to see him unify the weight classes, win a knockout fight at 147 pounds and then move up to 154 pounds,” promoter Eddie Hearn told the media last Saturday night. If Terence Crawford beats Madrimov, Boots Ennis will win a knockout fight against Terence Crawford.
This is a classic example of an overconfident fighter thinking only about the paycheck ahead, rather than the hard work in front of him.
Crawford is a classic example of someone who has had so much success against opponents he could have beaten in the past that now, as he gets older and is being offered a huge salary against a formidable talent, he believes he can beat them with ease.
Hearns predicts tough fight for Crawford
“I think people are underestimating him,” Hearn said of WBA junior middleweight champion Israel Madrimov. “He's very tough, he hits hard. Everybody's like, 'Canelo is next.' Don't get me wrong, Crawford is the favorite, but Madrimov is going to be a tough fight.”
Many people underestimate Madrinov and for good reason: the average boxing fan knows very little about boxing and is easily influenced, so they believe what promoters say without doing their own research.
“He's got great movement and he's a healthy, strong guy in his prime. And like I said, he's a very hard puncher, so it's not an easy fight,” Hearn said of Madrimov.
The 29-year-old Madrimov's power, youth and mobility could be a nightmare for Crawford and a disaster for him. If Crawford thinks Madrimov will turn into a frail old man like his last three opponents, Errol Spence, David Avanesyan and Shawn Porter, he would be sadly mistaken.
“Given what Canelo wants from this fight, I think your Excellency is the only person who can make it happen,” Hearn said of the Canelo Alvarez-Crawford fight.
“So you have to pay for it. And the only way Saul can pay the money he wants for that fight is [is His Excellency]” said Hahn.
It is still unclear if Crawford will fight Canelo next year. Colonel Canelo would need to make Canelo an offer he can't refuse, as it is a no-win situation for Canelo. Even if Canelo beats Crawford, he would be two weight classes up and would not be considered due to his advanced age of nearly 37 years old.
