A Year Later, the Crawford vs. Madrimov Fight Still Lingers

As the year turns, certain fights return not because of controversy, but because they never fully resolved themselves. Terence Crawford’s decision win over Israil Madrimov remains one of those nights.

On August 3, 2024, Crawford took the WBA junior middleweight title by unanimous decision. The belts changed hands. The record stayed perfect. The debate did not end.

The unease was not limited to fans. Eddie Hearn, watching from Madrimov’s corner, questioned whether the fight had been judged on what happened in the ring or on who was standing in it.

“It’s not a 116 112 fight,” Hearn said afterward. “All of the effective punches were coming from Israil Madrimov. Crawford had a good flurry in the last round. That’s it.”

Hearn’s criticism was not framed as outrage. It was framed as inevitability.

“He’s coming into the fight as a champion, but because he’s fighting Terence Crawford, he doesn’t get a shake,” Hearn said. “They knew this fight was on a knife edge.”

The scorecards suggested otherwise. Two judges had Crawford ahead by four rounds. That disconnect is what kept the fight open-ended long after the final bell.

Hearn argued that Madrimov had done what champions are supposed to do. He controlled stretches of the fight. He landed clean. He did not fade. And yet, when the decision was read, the margins told a different story.

“For me, he deserves to be champion tonight,” Hearn said. “It was a fight that could have gone either way. Then you hear the scorecards, and it’s why do you bother.”

Crawford has never engaged with that framing. Nor has he needed to. Officially, the win stands. But Crawford’s own ambitions extend beyond titles. He speaks openly about historical placement and all-time standing.

At that level, close wins carry weight of a different kind.

No result is changing. No belt is disputed. But as years pass, this fight remains a quiet pause in Crawford’s résumé. Not as a robbery. Not as a stain. But as a night when reputation and performance felt closer than the scorecards suggested.

That is often where boxing’s most enduring questions live.