By Alan Dawson in Los Angeles
Terence Crawford is a modern day version of boxingโs โFour Kings.โ
Thatโs according to the fighterโs coach Brian โBomacโ McIntyre, and Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn, who compared Crawford to โSugarโ Ray Leonard, amongst others.
In Crawfordโs last fight, he put an all-time great beating on his long-time rival Errol Spence Jr., knocking him to the ground en route to finishing him in the ninth round of a one-sided drubbing.
With the victory, Crawford became the undisputed welterweight world champion, and one of the sportโs top three pound-for-pound stars, alongside Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Uysk.
He returns to the ring Saturday against Matchroom boxer Israil Madrimov in a WBA super welterweight world title fight that takes place at the 22,000 capacity BMO Stadium.
Reflecting on the Spence win to Boxing News, โBomacโ proclaimed Crawfordโs victory over Spence as โone of the topโ wins in the divisionโs history.
โThatโs Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, and Ray Leonard,โ he told us. โThatโs one of those wins.โ
The Madrimov fight as part of the Riyadh Season initiative is Crawfordโs first bout since dominating Spence in July, last year.
Though Turki Alalshikh has rolled out the red carpet, and seemingly spared no expense for a fight week that has seen events on Santa Monicaโs pier, at the Chinese Theater, and, tomorrow, the home venue of MLS side Los Angeles FC, Hearn suggests he deserves the Hollywood treatment โ and more.
โI feel like he should be an American superstar,โ Hearn told Boxing News and other reporters this week.ย
โHe’s everything that is great about sports and competition, mindset and preparation, and living life like a true great. We should appreciate him while he is here.โ
Hearn, like โBomacโ then compared him to the โFour Kings,โ saying: โHeโs like Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, and Sugar Ray Leonard. Heโs at that level.โ
But, though he holds Crawford in such high regard, he does not seem to view him as the winner in Saturdayโs showdown, as he lauds Madrimov.
โ[Madrimov] is a 154-pound wrecking machine,โ said Hearn. โNot just with power and chin but with great movement, and ring IQ.ย
โOn Saturday, this will be the toughest fight of Terence Crawfordโs career, no doubt. Youโre going to see a wonderful fight between two modern day greats.โ