Terence Crawford has become a 4-division world champion with his latest victory over Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov. But it is important to note that Madrimov is the only boxer in the past eight years who has made ‘Bud’ go the full distance. However, many believe that the Uzbek outclassed the two-division undisputed champion. Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez has a similar take that has raised eyebrows on Crawford’s performance.    

Fans flocked to BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to watch Crawford compete in the super welterweight class for the first time. The judges scored the 12-round fight 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113, with the American fighter winning by unanimous decision. Saul Alvarez, though, thinks Madrimov came out on top over Crawford. 

The super middleweight king, who is speculated to fight Crawford in the near future stated, “It was a good fight, it was a close fight, maybe a draw, he’s willing to give it a draw or a win for Madrimov.” Eddie Hearn, the promoter of the Uzbek, expressed a similar worry. 

Matchroom Boxing’s boss shared his disappointment with the scorecards, saying, “Towards the end, I was a little bit frustrated. You know, I didn’t see how you could only give Madrimov four rounds in that fight; I thought it was really two 116-112s.” He said that even though Bud won, Madrimov should have at least received more scores from the judges.

Apparently, both fighters were taking their time learning one another’s strategies during the first three rounds of the bout. The intensity of their punches and combinations grew as the tempo picked up gradually. Let’s take a look at what another seasoned veteran from the boxing world has to say. 

Rick Glaser feels that ‘Bud’ is still in his prime

Boxing insider Rick Glaser believes that everyone was expecting a spectacular performance from Crawford. He also mentioned that ‘Bud’ was inactive in the sport for almost a year. Many underestimated Madrimov because they had never heard of him prior to getting the fight with Crawford. Every fighter ages, but that hasn’t happened to Terence Crawford just yet.

Well, it is quite a divisive topic to decide if Madrimov really deserved to win the fight or not. Speaking of Bud, he will now be anticipating a clash against Canelo. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is trying to orchestrate this mega-fight in Saudi Arabia. Only time will dictate how this situation plays out. Meanwhile, what do you think about Canelo’s remark on the Crawford vs. Madrimov fight? Share your opinion in the comments below.