As fans who watched the big presser from Gotham in New York yesterday know, the intriguing Terence Crawford-Israel Madrimov headliner set for August 3 in Los Angeles will have quite the stellar supporting card propping it up when in actuality this fight – arguably the sublime Crawford’s toughest and trickiest test yet in his long and accomplished career – needs no propping up.
We will get to see a heavyweight co-main, between Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller, while we will also get to see Pitbull in action, and red-hot prospect/contender Andy Cruz. But the most exciting fight aside from the main event might just prove to be the other fight set for 154, between Tim Tszyu and Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Now, this fight, while all agreed to and announced yesterday, is reliant on Ortiz Jr beating Thomas Dulorme this weekend. Assuming Ortiz Jr does his business, it will be former WBO 154 pound champ Tszyu who he fights next, on the big August card. And both Tszyu and Ortiz Jr deserve a ton of respect for taking this fight, for agreeing to what is a risky fight between two young, talented fighters who could have taken an easier path.
Tszyu as we know is coming off that bloody upset loss at the hands of Sebastian Fundora, so Tszyu, in going right back in against Ortiz Jr, really is showing us his self-belief and his sheer confidence. And now it’s been reported by RingTV.com that the interim WBA belt will be on the like when Ortiz Jr and Tszyu get it on (again the fight taking place only if Ortiz Jr beats Dulorme okay).
The winner on August 3 will then, in theory at least, have a path towards a fight with the Madrimov-Crawford winner, their fight for the full WBA light-middleweight title. So, although Tszyu-Ortiz Jr needs no secondary belt to make it what it already is, and that’s a great match up, the fight is now even bigger.
But belts and interim belts aside, Tszyu, 24-1(17) against Ortiz Jr, 20-0(20) is a darn good fight. Who wins this one? Will the nasty gash Tszyu suffered in the Fundora fight of March 30 have fully healed in time for him to have a full, trouble-free training camp?
The 154 pound division is now very exciting, due in large part to Crawford’s decision to move there. But fights like the one between Tszyu and Ortiz Jr help to make the division one of the most interesting in the sport right now.
