Followers need to know if Terence Crawford might be focused on dealing with IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev in a unification combat following his third-round obliteration of Tim Tszyu final Saturday night time on the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.
(Credit score: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) holds the WBA 154-lb title that he just lately gained in opposition to Israil Madrimov, and he’d deliberate on preventing WBC/WBO champion Sebastian Fundora. That combat fell off when the WBO permitted Fundora to make a voluntary protection in opposition to Errol Spence subsequent.
Will Crawford combat Murtazaliev?
Followers are ready for Crawford to point out some braveness by calling out Murtazaliev and placing collectively what could be an enormous unification combat. Informal boxing followers on social media consider that Crawford would simply beat Murtazaliev, however I don’t see it that approach.
Crawford is now with out an opponent, and preventing Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) would take advantage of sense if he have been courageous sufficient to combat him. That’s a dangerous combat for Crawford as a result of Murtazaliev punches as onerous, if not more durable, than ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov, however he’s extra aggressive, throws energy pictures with each fingers, and has a excessive punch output. In some ways, Murtazaliev is extra formidable than Madrimov.
It’s unlikely that Crawford, 37, will comply with combat Murtazaliev as a result of he’s much more harmful than his final opponent, Madrimov, and he barely gained that combat earlier this yr on August third. Crawford clearly is aware of that if he fought Murtazaliev, there could be a great likelihood that he’d get knocked out.
Even when Crawford fought in a safety-first method, Murtazaliev would catch as much as him to knock just a few chips off of him. Going 12 rounds in opposition to Murtaaliev could be a punishing match, and it wouldn’t matter if Crawford ran the whole night time. Murtazaliev would get to him sufficient to inflict a variety of injury. He’d expose Crawford’s superior age.
“There’s no proof that he gained’t be prevented once more. The one good factor he has is he has a title. So, as a result of he has a title, he can simply keep energetic, preventing individuals within the ranks with the IBF and dominating, furthering his fan base and additional exhibiting us what he brings to the 154 division, however does Bud need Bakhram? Does Bud take that combat?” stated Keith Thurman to Thaboxingvoice, questioning whether or not Terence Crawford would need to problem IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Sadly, Thurman is correct about Murtazaliev more likely to be prevented, and Crawford could be one of many many fighters at 154 that wouldn’t need something to do with him. Crawford nonetheless has the hopeless dream of preventing Canelo Alvarez, which isn’t going to occur. It’s like wishing for the tooth fairy to look to depart him a greenback underneath his pillow. That combat isn’t occurring for Crawford on this lifetime. I want he’d get up and get a clue already.
Murtazaliev Scaring Away Fighters
“Who actually desires it and takes it and says, ‘That’s my subsequent opponent.’ Does Bakhram keep in his IBF lane, defending his title? He says he has to remain in his lane till one other door opens as much as do one other nice combat on this division on this planet of boxing. However proper now, he’s received a variety of us excited,” stated Thurman.
Crawford ought to take the combat in opposition to Murtazaliev to point out followers that he’s not afraid and work in direction of the purpose of turning into undisputed champion at 154. Followers might respect that as a result of Crawford would keep busy, preventing an accessible champion and [putting himself in a position to become the undisputed champion if he were to win and then defeat Fundora for the last two belts. If Murtazaliev was an easy mark, Crawford would likely be eager to fight him, but that’s not the case.
