Terence Crawford beat Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision Saturday night and won the WBA super welterweight title, meaning he’s now won world boxing championships in four weight divisions.
But it was closer than expected.
The judges scored it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 in Crawford’s favor. It was the first time in 12 fights Crawford did not win by stoppage, a streak dating back to 2016.
“Israil was a tough competitor,’’ Crawford said. “… Real strong, durable. Took a lot of good shots.’’
There were no knockdowns and neither fighter ever looked seriously hurt in a fight that seemed to lack explosive exchanges or memorable punches.
Madrimov said he thought he did enough to win.
“I was controlling the rhythm and I felt very comfortable inside the ring,’’ he said through a translator. “I believe I did really well and that at least I deserve the rematch.’’
Crawford, 36, improved to 41-0. Madrimov, the 29-year-old from Uzbekistan, suffered his first defeat as a pro. He fell to 10-1-1.
