Fight Update
Mexican star Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) did his talking in the ring as he wrestled away the WBA Super Lightweight World Championship from Rolando "Rolly" Romero (15-2, 13 KOs) with an eighth round TKO triumph.
Fans are eager to see the return of Terence "bud next fight" Crawford, who hasn’t been in the ring since destroying Errol Spence to become the undisputed welterweight champion last July in Las Vegas. Spence wanted a rematch but had to get cataract surgery early this year. Now Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) will move up in weight to face Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), who is making the first defense of his WBA junior middleweight title. The WBO is also putting their vacant "interim" title on the line.
Daniel Yanofsky is the Combat Sports Editor for The Sporting News since late 2021. Prior to working for TSN, Daniel provided insight on combat sports for Fightful, FIGHT SPORTS, and Wrestling Inc. A proud Ithaca College alum, when he isn’t working on his golf game, Daniel is advocating for three-minute rounds in women's boxing.
The questions amid his struggle to make the big fights have led Crawford to form a serious chip on his shoulder -- much like Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins before him. Each of the three men carried a scowl inside the ring that they routinely duplicated outside the ropes. Much of that is owed to the disrespect they perceived -- real or imagined -- from peers, fans and, of course, the media.
In the co-main event, hard-hitting Mexican contender Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KOs) edged out the previously unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera (21-1, 7 KOs) via split decision to emerge victorious in their WBC and WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator.
The tactics weren't right. Some real novicey, amateur stuff from Joyce. But he can really still come back. I know Joyce was hurt a number of times, but I still think if the eye wasn't swollen I'm still confident he could have come back.
Round 1: Moran comes out firing with the jab. Slips while evading a Cruz jab but on his feet while Cruz turns more aggressive. But now it’s Moran stalking as the round comes to a close. Moran 10, Cruz 9.
Round three: Porter storming forward, solid movement from Crawford in response. Nice check hook. They trade near the ropes. Halfway through the round. Weirdly tentative moment in the corner. Crawford digs to the body and they slug in the center. Good right from Porter, clinch. Porter sporting a cut around his right eye. Their feet get tangled. 10-9, 30-27 Porter.
Having called for the opportunity since November 2016, Egidijus Kavaliauskas eventually faced Crawford on December 14, 2019. Early in the fight, Crawford appeared to have been knocked down, however it was not ruled a knockdown. After a close first half of the fight eventually, Crawford won by stoppage in the ninth. After dropping the Lithuanian in the seventh round with an overhand right, and twice further in the ninth with explosive punches, the referee intervened to save Kavaliauskas further punishment.
JB on X: "Fury thinking he won that fight is just bonkers. Showboating after (and before) he hurt Usyk rather than stepping in is his downfall. I'm all for a bit of character but you still have to win the fight! Good entertainment (bar all the nonsense) tonight though!"
8:50 p.m. ET: A solid shot to Diaz's face lands, and now Rivera is jabbing away in Round 6. He does the same in Round 7. Diaz's sweat is flying off his head. Later in the round, Diaz starts to land impactful shots. Is it enough for him to come back in this fight? Both play it close to the vest in the last round. Rivera attacks Diaz's body in the corner. He continues to chase after him until the final bell. Rivera wins via unanimous decision (79-73, 79-73, 78-74).
"Like I said before, I only dreamed of being a world champion," Crawford says. "I’m an overachiever. Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, but I made everybody a believer. I want to thank Spence and his team because without him none of this would have been possible."
Round 2: Both fighters had their moments and snuck in some clean punches. It’s early, but at least so far, it seems like Wilder is handling the clinch better than last time. We’ll see if that continues later.
Usyk seized control of the pulsating fight in the ninth round, when he came close to finishing Fury. The Briton survived a standing 10 count and made it to the end of the fight, only to lose the decision. Usyk won 115-112 and 114-113 on two scorecards while the third judge saw it as 114-113 against him.
Wilder is completing a trilogy of fights with Tyson Fury, the 6-foot-9 Englishman who defeated Wilder via technical knockout in February 2020. Wilder, 35, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., created a litany of unsubstantiated reasons for suffering the first loss of his career.
10:22 p.m.: Janibek Alimkhanuly didn't have much trouble turning back the challenge of Hassan N'Dam. He chopped him down over the course of eight rounds to earn the TKO stoppage. N'Dam's best years as a contender are clearly behind him, while Alimkhanuly remains one to watch in the middleweight division. As the rounds wore on, it became target practice for Alimkhanuly. N'Dam offered little resistance and was routinely clocked by power punches and a hard left hand. The mounting damage was too much for referee Kenny Bayless and the fight was called at the 2:40 mark of the eighth.