Terence Crawford is gearing up for a fresh showdown in a new weight division. He will face Israil Madrimov at the huge Riyadh Season Card at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Uzbek boxer’s WBA light middleweight belt will be at stake. But it seems the duo will fight for the WBO’s interim title as well. Apart from the Crawford-Madrimov duel, the event will put on display three other title fights along with a few exciting heavyweight bouts, including the comeback of former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr.

It will be ‘Bud’s first foray into 154 pounds. So needless to say, many deem it a potential move to get closer to a fight with Canelo Alvarez. It’s a fight; Crawford has expressed a keen interest quite a few times. But as his long-time trainer, Brian ‘Bomac’ McIntyre, said, Team Crawford’s entire focus remains on the fight, staring at them. Thus, the Nebraskan Southpaw is leaving no stone unturned to pull off a favorable outcome on August 3. He shared training footage with fans and followers today. To keep them and himself motivated, he roped in the famous quotes of Eric Thomas, ‘The Hip-Hop Preacher’.

Terence Crawford: Elevate Your Game

Seemingly emphasizing all his magical skills, which have mesmerized thousands of fans across the globe, Terence Crawford’s post says that they can neither be learned nor acquired externally. He said, “IN ME, NOT ON ME‼️ What I got can’t be taught.” A few ‘angry face with horns’ emoticons joined alongside. It doesn’t appear that any fan or follower would disagree with that opinion.

The proof of the pudding lies in eating. Hence, one need only look at some of the responses ‘Bud’ Crawford received. One fan said that the first two-division undisputed champion among men is ‘from another planet’. Another simply wrote, “GAMENESS, CHARACTER, DISCIPLINE, GRIT, DETERMINATION, WILL, DESIRE TO PREVAIL, =C R A W F O R D.”

The short clip begins with Terence Crawford jogging on a running track. On the back, one could hear Eric Thomas’ motivational words, “I’m not scared that some kid is going to take my spot. If he does, he’s gonna have to do it with sweat.” The next sequence shows the now-WBC welterweight ‘champion in recess’ training inside the gym, hitting bags.

‘The Hip-Hop Preacher’s verse describes that the challenger will have to go through a river of blood and tear to become a champion and the greatest in that field. They will have to do things that no one has been doing every day and night consistently. If they are able to do that, Thomas emphasized that the person deserves every right to replace the champion. Why? “Because you’re average, it’s easy to take your spot; it’s easy; it’s easy to get to the place before you get there,” the motivational speaker and minister said. According to him, “Everybody wants to be a beast until it’s time to do what beasts do.”

Considering the effort that he is putting in, one might as well go back to the interview ‘Bomac’ McIntyre gave to Fight Hub TV‘s Marcos Villegas.

The Way to the Third Undisputed Crown

The fight channel’s founder wanted to know whether the latest to fight at a division higher would bridge that three-divisional gap to reach that coveted fight with Canelo Alvarez. Brian McIntyre replied that, as much as fans are free to think so, one has to understand that Terence Crawford is in the habit of sparring with fighters much bigger in size and weight. But otherwise, he feels that the welterweight champion has the necessary ‘tools’ to defeat the Mexican icon.

The Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez fight probably remains one of the most desired boxing fights of recent times so much so that even His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has expressed his interest in bringing the two biggest names of the sport together for an eventual clash.

After Crawford’s August 3 fight, Alvarez’s September fights now appear on the horizon. Edgar Berlanga and Chris Eubank Jr.‘s names are making the rounds as of now. So the big question is: can fans see the big fight happening between the two by year-end or by next year? There are no clear answers thus far.

Terence Crawford is expected to scale past Israil Madrimov. However, do you expect a tough fight or an early stoppage?