Having already conquered junior welterweight and welterweight with undisputed crowns, Terence Crawford looks to reign as world champion in another division when he challenges WBA junior middleweight titleholder Israil Madrimov on August 3, live on DAZN.
A win and Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) will add to his already-glowing legacy by becoming a four-division world champ.
Madrimov (10-0, 7 KOs) can of course add to his own legacy if he's able to stop the consensus pound-for-pound best in the sport.
With the stakes reaching a fever pitch, DAZN looks at the keys to victory for each fighter.
Terence Crawford’s keys to victory
Switch stances when he sees fit
Terence Crawford’s ability to go from orthodox to southpaw is so seamless that it could go long ways to throw Israil Madrimov off his game, keep him guessing and perhaps most importantly negate his angles and footwork.
Crawford’s brilliant ring IQ will allow him to download information in real time and switch up his stance to start rounds and even in the midst of them.
Be the counterpunch God he is
Simply put: Is there a better counterpuncher in boxing than Terence Crawford? You’d be hard-pressed to name one. After all, that counterpunching is what empowered Crawford to take a perceived 50-50 fight against Errol Spence Jr. last July and make it a landslide in his favor toward the biggest victory of his career.
Now, roughly a year later, “Bud” has to be the counterpunch God he is once again. From the precise timing to the razor sharpness and power, Crawford’s counterpunches are the best in the game and he has to demonstrate that against Madrimov.
We’ve seen Madrimov drop his lead hand and leap off a foot to deliver a lunging right hand. Those kinds of tactics could be a field day for Crawford’s pinpoint counters.
Box and unleash power middle to late rounds
As the consensus pound-for-pound best in the sweet science today, we know Terence Crawford is going to box on brilliant levels.
But if he has his counters working and is frustrating Madrimov early, Crawford should look to unleash his power and warn the fight game how his oomph has more than translated to 154 pounds. He does this and there’s a solid chance he walks away as new WBA junior middleweight world champion.
Israil Madrimov’s keys to victory
Test Crawford’s body early
With Crawford making his debut at 154 pounds and Madrimov saying this is his realm, it’s vital the Uzbek boxer welcomes “Bud” to the division by testing his body.
Attacking the body early could give the champ indication of how Crawford can handle power in the division.
Look for that overhand right around the guard
Considering Crawford’s and Madrimov’s adroit ability on the defensive end, neither boxer makes too many mistakes. But if Madrimov can spot a lapse in Crawford’s guard, he should look to unload his big overhand right around it.
Doing so and landing the shot with some pop could open up the lane for Madrimov to do some damage.
Use footwork to be relentless with power
Watch Madrimov dismantle Magomed Kurbanov by fifth-round TKO in March and you’ll see a fighter who uses his footwork to set up angles and drown his opponent with unrelenting power.
For Madrimov to have a chance to pull off the upset and retain his WBA title, he’ll need to use that footwork, dazzle with his angles and most importantly crank up his volume with power shots that keep coming.
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