Undefeated Terence Crawford made a triumphant super-welterweight debut on Saturday, dethroning previously unbeaten Israil Madrimov to capture a 154-pound world boxing title by unanimous decision.
Crawford, an undisputed champion at welterweight and light-welterweight, took the World Boxing Association crown on judges’ scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113.
The 36-year-old US southpaw, who has also been a lightweight world champion, improved to 41-0 while Madrimov, 29, fell to 10-1-1.
But Crawford’s streak of 11 consecutive stoppage wins over the past eight years was snapped, Madrimov taking him the distance for the first time since Ukraine’s Viktor Postol in 2016.
“Israil was a tough competitor,” Crawford said. “He’s real strong. He’s durable. He took a lot of good shots. He got me to round 12.”
Crawford’s jump from 147 to 154 pounds had included talk of trying to rise to super middleweight (168) and challenge Canelo Alvarez, but Madrimov came within a round of delivering Crawford’s first defeat.
“He had fast speed, a good rhythm upstairs and he was strong. He was very disciplined and he fought a good fight,” Crawford said.
“I was being patient. I didn’t want to rush in with anything. That’s how I got caught a couple times, I tried to eat too soon. You could feel the difference. He’s a strong guy.”
Crawford called an Alvarez fight “another milestone to greatness” and added, “If the money is right, we’ve got to fight.”
Madrimov, through a translator, said he felt he did enough to win and sought a rematch.
“I fought the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and I felt I did enough because I am the champion, I was controlling the rhythm, I felt very comfortable,” Madrimov said.
“I did very well. At least I deserve a rematch.”
It was Madrimov’s first defense of the WBA crown he won in March with a fifth-round stoppage of Russian Magomed Kurbanov.
On the undercard, US southpaw Jose Valenzuela won the WBA world super-lightweight title with a 12-round split decision over Mexico’s Isaac Cruz.
Two judges scored the fight for Valenzuela by 116-112 while the third saw Cruz a 115-113 winner.
“I’m speechless. Dream come true,” Valenzuela said. “I was 100 percent sure. I felt like I was in control the whole time using my jab and my footwork. I didn’t fall under pressure. I stayed calm.”
Valenzuela improved to 14-2 while Cruz, who requested a rematch in the ring, fell to 26-3 with one drawn, losing in his first defense of a crown he won last March with an eighth-round stoppage of American Rolando Romero.
