Canelo Alvarez Believes Crawford’s Undefeated Streak Should Have Ended Against Madrimov

Canelo Alvarez says he believes that Terence Crawford shouldn’t still be an unbeaten fighter after his last fight against former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season card on August 3rd last year in Los Angeles.

Alvarez states that he thinks Crawford “lost” the fight or it was a “draw,” which goes with what many boxing fans believe. Terence, 37, was gifted a narrow 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 115-113, 116-112, and 115-112. However, ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov landed the harder, cleaner shots in every round of the fight and got the better of Crawford in the exchanges. Madrimov made Terence look his age, a 40-ish fighter, on his last legs.

Crawford “Lost”?

The powerful, technical Israil was hitting Crawford at will with right hands to the head. There were at least six to eight big right hands that Madrimov was hitting Crawford with in every round of the fight. That should have been enough for Madrimov to win, but not with these judges. They gave it to the aging Omaha, Nebraska native, giving him a tainted victory, sending him into the Canelo fight under a dark cloud.

“For me, I think he lost. He lost the fight or draw. It could be the other side, but he knows why there is weight classes,” said Canelo Alvarez to talkSport Boxing, discussing his view on Terence Crawford’s fight against Israil Madrimov last year on August 3rd, believing Crawford didn’t win.

I agree with Canelo. Crawford lost that fight, and it was bad to see him gifted a decision and Madrimov robbed in this manner by the popular fighter. The visiting fighter, Madrimov, was given a raw deal.

Addressing the Doubt

Crawford should have done the right thing by admitting he lost and given Madrimov a rematch by now. He’s been sitting on his backside ever since his controversial victory over Israil. He should have made himself useful by clearing up the controversy instead of sitting around, waiting for his golden parachute retirement payday against Alvarez in September.

Usually, that should have resulted in the then-unbeaten Madrimov winning the fight. The judges went with the A-side fighter, Bud Crawford, in what some fans felt was preferential treatment. I re-watched the fight today and had Madrimov winning 9-3. The only rounds Crawford appeared to win were 10, 11, and 12.

Even the final round could have gone to Madrimov because he was lighting Crawford up like a Christmas tree, tagging him with repeated right hands thrown straight down the pipe, whiplashing his head.