Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov Press Conference Recap

It was a cloudy afternoon in Hollywood, CA, earlier today as Matchroom Boxing and Riyadh Season hosted the final press conference before tomorrow’s weigh-in with all the fighters involved in the Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) vs Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) fight card. FightsATW attended the press conference that heavily promoted Saturday’s fight, featuring a performance by Eminem.

Pre-Press Conference Shenanigans

As I drove up from San Diego to Hollywood, upon arriving at the Chinese Theater, I noticed an abundance of advertisements for the event on Saturday. There were giant traditional billboards with Crawford vs. Madrimov plastered all over it and some digital advertising. Interestingly, there were quite a few people throughout Hollywood Blvd, handing out club-like flyers to the tons of people walking by and advertising Saturday’s PPV card. It was a nod to the old-school guerilla marketing that event organizers used to do to gain awareness of their event. I thought that was a nice touch, and many people were talking about the event as they passed by me.

Once they let the media in and we found our seats, it was time to take in the beautiful backdrop of the Chinese theater. With regard to optics, the presser was perfectly placed. When it came to logistics, there were far better places you could have held it, but I understood the look the promoter was going for and those involved with the event. There were many media members from all over the world with several cameras that represented something you would see at an NFL presser. It was an impressive setup, even though the audio part kept going in and out.

Press Conference Stand-Out Performance 

Most of the undercard and main card fighters, except for Crawford and Madrimov, gave some vanilla responses to the questions being answered. The only exception was Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller. He took this opportunity of all the media being there to address Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson as there is some real beef between the two heavyweights. Miller stated that his team offered Anderson to fight him two months ago but that the fight was turned down. Anderson quickly denied such an offer, but clearly, he was bothered by the comment. Miller continued to insult Anderson and asked that after he knocks out Andy Ruiz, he would like to face Anderson whether he wins or loses against Martin Bakole. Things got heated between the two, but this verbal exchange got the most attention out of all of the fighters who participated in the presser.

Crawford & Madrimov Mean Business

Crawford and Madrimov get closer to being fully locked in as we countdown to Saturday’s fight. Today, Crawford appeared as ready as ever, and it looked as if the junior middleweight division suits him more than 147. His face didn’t look as bad as it did during last year’s press conference, and if Crawford feels like he looks, we can potentially be in for an all-time great performance by the two-time undisputed champion.

Crawford said earlier today, “The journey has been a struggle at times, but it’s been fun most of the time. I’m sure me and any of the team members wouldn’t want to change it. We build character inside the team, and we are happy and excited to be here, but we came here to do a job. The challenge of moving to 154 and fighting Madrimov is a hill that you have to climb. I know that the team and everybody around the team want challenges like that so you can say we are the best out there. We have solidified that over the years.”

Madrimov was calm, but unlike Crawford, he looked like the weight cut was a little harder than his opponent’s. With a stoic look, Madrimov said, “This fight is a big chance for me. I am fighting the best boxer in the world. This is a dream come true. I feel great and want to be a part of history. All the respect to team Crawford. As I said before he’s my favourite fighter, but at the same time, I believe that I can prove that I’m the best in the world as well. I believe that anything is possible. My dream is to create something that nobody expects and do something and win the fight that nobody expects me to win and I believe I can do that Saturday.”

My Three Cents

This event, on paper, appears to be a can’t miss boxing event, which is topped by a musical performance. The main event between Crawford and Madrimov will deliver more than what fans may think, but given how these two fighters looked on stage today, Crawford seems to be satisfying those oddsmakers who have made him the betting favorite. However, it is boxing, and until these two step into the ring, we won’t know, but as the old saying goes, boxing is the “Theater of the unexpected,” so anything can happen. Tune in on your preferred PPV platform to see Crawford vs. Madrimov on Saturday night and witness possibly another great fight to add to the list for 2024.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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