The volatile light middleweight division finally acknowledged its new boogeyman. Bakhram Murtazaliev held the IBF title. But he entered the fight as an underdog. For he faced the heavy-hitting former WBO champion Tim Tszyu. Murtazaliev dominated the fight from the start, knocking Tszyu down three times in the second round and once more in the third. Despite Tszyu’s efforts to continue, his corner threw in the towel in the third round to prevent further damage. But by the time the duel came to an end, it became clear that the soul had been snatched away from ‘The Soul Taker’. The playing field might have undergone a change.

As much as Terence Crawford wants, the chances of a fight with Canelo Alvarez remain uncertain, at least for the time being. So the most viable recourse for the former undisputed champion remains pursuing the unification-undisputed route in the 154 pounds. Likely contenders for the potential matchup are already stacked: Sebastian Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr., and of course Tim Tszyu. However, Murtazaliev barely found a mention in the running discourse. Now the hard demolition of the Aussie challenger seems to have thrown a curveball. A Crawford-Murtazaliev clash has become a possibility. But many fans don’t appear so enthused. Why?

Terence Crawford: The Threat Ahead

Quite a few suggestions have been doing the rounds: “Should Crawford fight Murtazaliev next?” If the dream is to unify the division, then it’s inevitable the paths of the two champions will cross. But the thought begs deep introspection.

Though he won his first world title, the Grozny-born fighter has been a light middleweight for much of his career. Whereas ‘Bud’ Crawford scaled the division this year, ahead of the bout against Israil Madrimov. He won the match.

But Madrimov fought hard and took Crawford the whole distance, a first since 2016. To many, the August 3 Riyadh Season clash seemingly exposed a few chunks in ‘Bud’ Crawford’s armor. So does he stand a chance against a bigger and stronger opponent of Murtazaliev’s caliber?

Too great a challenge

The overall vibe of the comments had a cautionary undertone. Check out what a few of the users thought about the Crawford-Murtazaliev lineup.

This fan sounded quite excited. According to them, Crawford should rather focus on fighting Murtazaliev instead of chasing Canelo Alvarez or the doubtful rematch with Errol Spence Jr. The fan said, “Yesss Crawford needs to leave Canelo alone; beating a handicapped Errol doesn’t do it for the fans.”

The next fan too appeared buoyant. However, their suggestion, though laced with an apparent taunt, presented Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s as an equally good alternative to Murtazaliev. They said, “Let’s get it!!! Either him or Vergil. Even though Virgil got his ass whooped in his last fight.”

But the following fan seemed quite skeptical. Considering how Bakhram Murtazaliev has proved himself a hard-hitting and powerful fighter, they expressed doubts about whether Crawford would take such a huge gamble. “Crawford won’t risk his life for this fight against Murtazaliev! He’s too strong enough to knock him out,” the fan said.

The next user emphasized that, with superior technical skills and a disciplined approach, Murtazaliev presented a more potent threat to Crawford than Israil Madrimov. “Murtazaliev has way more punching power than Madrimov, and his technique is better and more organized,” said the user.

This next follower appeared quite certain—no one would risk a faceoff against Bakhram Murtazaliev, including Terence Crawford. Hence the Russian champion might eventually move up a division. They said, “Nobody is fighting Murtazaliev, especially not Crawford. He gone be 🦆 ducked for a minute by everyone at 154. He might just have to move up.”

After years of relative mystique, finally, Bakhram Murtazaliev has emerged out of the shadows, and he can’t be ignored. Matchmakers and promoters now have to take due cognizance.

No doubt technically, Terence Crawford might be far ahead of Murtazaliev. But as Israil Madrimov demonstrated, against a powerful, determined adversary, the Nebraskan-born southpaw may have his work cut out for him.

What is your personal take? Do you feel that a fight against Murtazaliev would be the right course of action for Crawford?