Terence Crawford seemed set to chase another world title to add to his impeccable resume, but Jermell Charlo has positioned himself in the way of Bud’s plan.
According to multiple reports, Crawford was set to challenge WBA 154-pound champion Israil Madrimov for his title on August 3 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
The event was set to be the first American event financially supported by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of his country’s General Entertainment Authority.
Alalshikh has been the man behind the resurgence of most of the major matchups in the sport over the past three years, including Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua vs. Ngannou, and the upcoming Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk and Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol cards.
According to Pro Box TV, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn was set to promote the event. Alalshikh even posted a teaser on X indicating some talks with Crawford.
The future Hall-of-Famer responded with emojis seemingly validating the negotiations.
Charlo, the reigning 154-pound champion, has invoked his right as the governing body’s titleholder in recess to be Madrimov’s next opponent, per longtime boxing insider Dan Rafael.
Madrimov is undefeated as a pro at 10-0 with 7 KOs. He won the WBA’s title in March on an Alalshikh card in Riyadh when he stopped Magomed Kurbanov in the fifth round.
Charlo last fought in September 2023 when he lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Canelo Alvarez in a flavorless performance. Charlo’s performance in that fight drew widespread criticism, notably from Crawford, who said his rival “went out sad.”
Crawford-Charlo could be a bigger fight, but it’s unclear if we’ll ever get to see that bout. As it is, we will have to wait to see which fighter gets the first shot at Madrimov’s title. The championship is the most valuable commodity for both men in this scenario, which is a bit refreshing considering belts have been devalued in the sport over the past two decades.
Thankfully, champions like Crawford and Devin Haney have prioritized undisputed titles. Crawford putting a chance to win a title in a fourth weight class is admirable and it helps to improve his legacy.
Alalshikh’s push to make the biggest fights in the sport is making it tough to have any issue with his impact.
He has become arguably the most influential person in boxing, and his move into powering boxing events in the United States is the next step toward influencing the sport globally.
Perhaps his influence and financial backing will help to facilitate Crawford’s move up to challenge for the 154-pound title.