Something has to give in Los Angeles on Saturday night as Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov put their unbeaten records on the line.
Crawford is bidding to become a four-weight world champion after winning the title of undisputed welterweight champion last year, while Madrimov is making the first defence of his WBA super-welterweight crown.
- TERENCE CRAWFORD TO WIN
- TERENCE CRAWFORD TO WIN BY KO, TKO OR DISQUALIFICATION
- TERENCE CRAWFORD TO WIN IN ROUNDS 9-12
Crawford Too Classy
Madrimov is the current champion and the more natural fighter at this weight, but Crawford is by far the more experienced of the two and should have too much for his Uzbeki opponent.
The Dream is 10-0-1 but he just hasn’t faced anyone who has anywhere near the level of quality, precision and movement that Crawford possesses and this will be his first fight against a world champion as he claimed his title after it had been vacated.
Crawford has put together a 40-0 record and 31 of his wins have come via stoppages. The American has moved up through the weight classes with ease and beat all the big names at welter before opting to move up to the 154lb limit so there shouldn’t really be any concerns against him facing a bigger man.
Bud Can Claim Stoppage
Crawford is a deserved heavy favourite and the best way to back the southpaw is focusing on the method of victory. He has an opportunity to become both the first man to beat Madrimov in the professional ranks and the first man to stop him.
The key to Crawford getting a win inside the distance is his unrivalled defensive skills as his movement and counterpunching, combined with his reliable and powerful jab, should leave Madrimov frustrated as the contest progresses.
Madrimov has been a level above all the opponents he has faced so far and he will have to dig deep to get any kind of success against Crawford, who outclassed a superb fighter in Errol Spence Jr in his last bout.
Spence Jr is a superb technical fighter but Crawford made him look like a relative novice on his route to a ninth-round stoppage as the volume of unanswered attacks ultimately proved too much for his rival, and he is capable of doing the same to Madrimov.
TERENCE CRAWFORD TO WIN BY KO, TKO OR DQ
Late Nightmare For The Dream
Madrimov is a quality operator and he looks a durable fighter even if he hasn’t really been pushed to the limit by his previous opponents.
Crawford doesn’t necessarily carry the kind of power to end fights with one punch or even in one attacking move. Instead, his stoppages usually come as a result of a culmination of punches so backing him to win in rounds 9-12 looks a good option as a value play.
Bud has won his last 11 fights inside the distance but the majority of those wins have come late on, with six of those victories coming in rounds 9-12 and nine coming in the second half of a fight, so backing Crawford to claim a stoppage in the championship rounds has appeal.
TERENCE CRAWFORD TO WIN IN ROUNDS 9-12
