Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov headline the all-star card confirmed for August 3 in Los Angeles
FORMER undisputed welterweight champion and Boxing news Number one Terence Crawford will return to the ring on August 3.
The 36-year-old moves up from 147 lbs to 154 lbs to face WBA super lightweight champion Israil Madrimov, 10-0-1 (7), at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, is behind the event with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn handling promotional duties. Alalshikh has become one of the most powerful men in boxing and played a key role in lifting the heavyweight division out of the doldrums in recent months. It culminates in a clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Crawford, 40-0 (31), has been absent from the ring since his career-defining night on July 29, 2023, when he was crowned welterweight king after dominating longtime rival Errol Spence Jr. History proved one-sidedly boring as Spence was dropped three times before being stopped in the ninth round. The victory made Crawford a two-time undisputed champion – he accomplished the feat at super lightweight in 2017, three years after winning his first world title at lightweight.
After moving through the welterweight division, Crawford hinted at a move to 154 lbs with the goal of facing undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. However, Charlo blew that opportunity when he jumped two weight classes to challenge Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, last September. The Mexican won a wide unanimous decision in a fight that never caught fire.
The 154lbs belt currently belongs to Sebastian Fundora (WBC and WBO), Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF) and Madrimov (WBA). Last month on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou undercard, Madrimov won the vacant title after comprehensively defeating Magomed Kurbanov and finishing in the fifth round. The talented Kazakh, promoted by Eddie Hearn, has not had the positive career he might have hoped for, having played only 11 times in five and a half years. However, when he faced Kurbanov, he showed off his world-class skill set that Kurbanov could not match.
Elsewhere on the star-studded card August 3, former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr will look to begin his career against Jarrell Miller. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will make his first defense of his WBA super lightweight title against Jose Valenzuela while David Morrell fights Radivoje Kaljdzic for the WBA “Regular” light-heavyweight title. Soft sensation Andy Cruz faces Antonio Moran.
A potential Fight of the Year candidate between super heavyweights Tim Tszyu and Vergil Ortiz Jr could also be in the mix if Ortiz Jr gets past Thomas Dulorme this Saturday (April 27).
