Los Angeles—Saturday, Terence Crawford went to a decision in his first fight at junior middleweight(154 lbs), it was the first time since 2016, but he did get the win!

In a thrilling 12-round contest at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, Crawford secured a unanimous decision victory over WBA super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov. This win marked Crawford’s fourth title in as many weight classes, as he made his debut at 154 pounds.

Crawford entered the bout as a strong favorite. The night wasn’t without drama, as one of Crawford’s gloves split at the seams earlier in the evening. This came after he initially objected to Madrimov’s Grant Gloves, though he later agreed to wear them, causing a slight delay in his warm-up.

The initial rounds were cautious, with both fighters measuring each other’s strategies. Crawford seemed to hold a slight edge early on, though Madrimov held his ground. Madrimov managed to land some significant blows to Crawford’s head in the third round and briefly sent him to the canvas late in the fifth, though this was ruled a trip and appeared to have little impact on Crawford.

Crawford retaliated with a combination of head shots in the sixth round, regaining momentum at the fight’s midpoint. While Madrimov showed promise in the eighth and ninth rounds – landing a powerful blow to Crawford’s head in the ninth, arguably his strongest moment of the fight – Crawford consistently countered effectively. Crawford started the final round aggressively, and although he couldn’t finish Madrimov, he secured the victory.

Speaking on his preparation after the fight Crawford had this to say:

“He only had 11 fights, but he was strong,” Crawford said. “For us to come in and fight a guy of his caliber in my first fight [at 154 pounds] says a lot about my team.”

Everyone didn’t feel the same, as Eddie Hearn ripped judges for what he saw as a clear decision for the champ Madrimov.

Eddie Posted this shortly after the fight.

However, Crawford won the fight 115-113 on two scorecards and 116-112 on the third to claim the unanimous decision. That pushed him to 41-0, and officially handed Madrimov the first loss of his career.

The real question after last night is simple: Is Terence Crawford ready to step in the ring with the face of boxing Canelo Álvarez?

By Vincent Quezada

Pictures courtesy Of Matchroom Boxing, AP