Terence Crawford's weekend consisted of playing as an active participant at a WWE show on Friday by delivering a steel chair assist and knockout right hand.
On Saturday, “Bud” was headlining a hometown sendoff in Omaha, Nebraska as he continues preparation for his junior middleweight debut against Israil Madrimav on Aug. 3 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
The three-division champion Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) will continue his conquests at 154 pounds after claiming the undisputed welterweight crown.
Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) is the WBA junior middleweight champion, and a vacant interim WBO title will be on the line as well.
“I'm very excited and blessed. I can't wait to go out there and once again make history,” Crawford told the media. “My body is growing and I'm getting older. Making 147 pounds was kind of tough. It was time for me to move up. Becoming undisputed at 147 pounds, there was nothing for me to prove to kill myself making weight so why not move up?
“I've always been competitive and trying to stay on top to conquer the world.
“I don't know yet [what will be the most challenging thing moving up to 154 pounds]. I don't know how my body is going to feel. I don't know how things are going to go, but I am looking forward to it.”
“The Dream” Madrimov, a 29-year-old from Uzbekistan, will look to defend the title he won against Magomed Kurbanov in March for the first time in the toughest test of his six-year career.
“He's a decorated amateur. He may only have 11 fights but he's a world champion for a reason,” said Crawford. “He's strong. I have to respect everything about him ... It could be [a tough fight]. Every fight could be my toughest fight. I won't know until I step in the ring. We're not taking him lightly or taking any shortcuts.”
As Crawford prepares for Madrimov, questions swirl about meeting former rival Errol Spence Jr. at 154 pounds for their long-discussed rematch as well as fighting undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
“My mind is crystal clear on one thing – that's Aug. 3, and that's Israil Madrimov,” said Crawford. “I'm not worried about Canelo or anyone else for that matter. Aug 3 is the only fight on my mind.”
As Crawford prepares to start taking on bigger opponents, he’s also tapping into former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward for sparring.
Ward, 40, retired in 2017 and has already been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
"It was dope. I appreciate Dre for even giving me the opportunity to step in the ring with him,” said Crawford. “I can say that I sparred Andre Ward – that's dope. It was good sparring and a great experience for me. Once we got in the ring we were locked and focused on the task.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
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