Switch hitters, proficient ones at least, are a rarity in boxing. Even rarer are clashes between two switch hitters. A high-stakes showdown between two elite switch hitters on the world stage might actually be unprecedented. Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov might well be the first of its kind in the history of the sport.
This writer cannot recall a contest of any major significance between two prominent switch hitters. If any reader knows of such a fight, please post a comment to let us know about it.
But the fact that Crawford and Madrimov both alternate between the southpaw and orthodox stances is where their similarities end; one is a surgeon while the other a butcher.
An experienced scholar of the game, Crawford, 36, uses a genius-level IQ to dissect, dismantle and ultimately destroy his opponents while Madrimov, at this early juncture of his career, has relied mainly on instinct and raw power to get the job done.
Both are adept at utilizing angles from either stance but Madrimov, 28, aggressively attacks while Crawford calculatingly counters. Madrimov’s punches are abrupt, deliberate and sometimes even reckless; Crawford’s are sneaky, subtle and surgical. Being the naturally bigger man, Madrimov is probably the harder hitter punch for punch but Crawford has mastered the art of precision and timing to maximize the deadliness of his blows.
Crawford is a known entity while Madrimov is not. Having witnessed Crawford compete at the highest level in three divisions for over a decade, we know what he can do (just about everything) and what he cannot do (almost nothing).
To date, Madrimov has faced 10 opponents, mostly gatekeepers and fringe contenders, and remains largely untested. He has yet to be sufficiently gut checked, chin checked and mettle detected for anyone, maybe even himself, to know what he’s truly made of. His heart, punch resistance, IQ and adaptability still remain big question marks.
As unheard of as a bout of this magnitude between two switch hitters is, this fight is also unique for a different reason; it is almost a win-win proposition for not just one, but both participants. More accurately, it offers high reward versus low risk for both fighters.
A victory for Crawford would amplify his claim as top dog in the sport. Granted, the P4P crown is arbitrary and highly subjective. But within the panel of media outlets that rank boxers on their merits cross divisionally sits a hung jury deadlocked in a three-way tie between Crawford, Usyk and Inoue as to who is most deserving of that distinction.
Should Crawford defeat Madrimov decisively and capture a title in a fourth weight division, the word “arguably” may be eliminated and even replaced with “undoubtedly” the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Should Crawford lose, the tarnish on his legacy would be minimized by the fact that he was punching above his weight class. He might be forgiven for gallantly reaching beyond the limitations of his age and natural physique against a younger, larger-framed man, much like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s stock barely took a tumble following his loss to Dimitry Bivol. Remember, Crawford began his career as a lightweight and gradually bulked up to 147.
As for Madrimov, it goes without saying that an upset over the supposedly nvincible Crawford would be monumental. It would skyrocket him from relative obscurity to superstardom. He’s already a national hero in Uzbekistan and pulling off an upset would further enhance that status not to mention his bank account.
And if Madrimov loses, so what? He’s only 11 fights into his career and losing to the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world is nothing to be ashamed about.
His stock might even go up in defeat depending on how well and spiritedly he performs. Again, like Canelo in his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., it will be chalked up as a good learning experience, perhaps even a badge of honor, for a young upstart for whom the sky is still the limit.
