The Crucial Mistake? Why Israil Madrimov Believes A Bulked-Up Terence Crawford Is Headed For A Loss To Canelo Alvarez In Las Vegas

Israil Madrimov says Terence Crawford has a “50-50” shot at beating Canelo Alvarez, only if his weight is under 168 for their September 13th fight at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He believes that if Crawford has bulked up for the fight, he’ll lose.

Terence’s New Physique 

Bud (41-0, 31 KOs) sure looks bulked up, resembling a super middleweight now. He’s been hitting the weights hard and has added a lot of muscle that has transformed his appearance into a different-looking person. If Madrimov is right, Crawford is losing 100%.

“That’s an intriguing fight right now. The whole world is watching. No one expected that, but thanks to [Turki Alalshikh] and Riyadh, we’re getting this fight,” said Israil Madrimov to Fight Hub TV about the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight next month. “I would like to help Terence in preparation, but I’m not at the stage of helping him right now with my abilities.”

Even if Madrimov did help Crawford, it wouldn’t be helpful. His fighting style is nothing like Canelo’s. If anything, it would work against Crawford to use Madrimov for sparring help because it would hurt his self-confidence, as he would be dominated in sparring sessions.

“Terence has everything. He’s perhaps the highest IQ boxer in the world. He can turn righty, lefty, he has powerful, strong, and physically gifted,” Madrimov said about Crawford. “He’s a great athlete and has all the tools.”

Crawford’s Missing Five Ingredients

1. Youth: He’s 38 on September 28; there’s no Fountain of Youth available or a handy Times Machine that can bring back a youthful version of himself
2. Experience: His resume is barren of quality names.
3. Power: What power he had at 147 will be gone at 168.
4. True size: Putting on weight isn’t the same thing as being a natural super middleweight.
5. Activity: Crawford has been sitting out for a year since his last fight in 2024. He’s chosen to lose himself in reverie, daydreaming, enjoying his ‘win’ over Israil Madrimov rather than getting back to work by fighting.

Crawford’s Crucial Weight Mistake

“Canelo is Canelo. Everyone knows him and what his strong sides are. He can box for 12 rounds,” said Madrimov. “I believe he can adjust to whatever. The question is, how is the physicality going to be? How is he going to react? I would never gain weight for Canelo. I would stick to what Crawford is. I believe Terence has all the tools.

“If Terence is going to be himself and weigh in under the 168 limit and just being himself, I see it as a 50-50 fight,” said Madrimov.

It’s already too late for Crawford to be “himself” for this fight. He’s bulked up to the 180s, perhaps low 190s, and looks physically nothing like the fighter he was in his last contest against Madrimov in 2024. If this is what SNAC has transformed Terence into, it’s a mistake on his part. He should have listened to Madrimov and stayed light so he could utilize his speed.