Riyadh Season made a huge splash for its United States debut. Now that the smoke has cleared in Los Angeles, it’s time to look ahead for some of Saturday’s winners including Terence Crawford.
Terence Crawford vs. Sebastian Fundora
While Terence Crawford once again proved that he is the best pound for pound fighter in the world, we finally got a glimpse of his ceiling. Seizing Israil Madrimov’s super welterweight belt wasn’t easy as “Bud” absorbed a fair amount of punches while seeing his own dish out a smaller amount of damage in a highly competitive fight.
With that in mind, any ambitions to face Canelo Alvarez, or jumping up to 168 pounds at all, should be put on hold. If he wants to try his hand at unifying titles in his new division, perhaps Sebastian Fundora should be in his sights.
Along with the WBA belt, Terence Crawford walked away with an interim WBO title, and top contendership for the WBC. Fundora just makes too much sense if he wants to stick around at 154.
Jose Valenzuela vs. Isaac Cruz
Immediately after handing over his WBA super lightweight title to Jose Valenzuela, Isaac Cruz requested a rematch. Considering how close the fight was, running it back makes sense.
Also Read: Ryan Garcia and RIZIN ‘Working On’ Manny Pacquiao Exhibition Match
While “Rayo” moved up to 140 pounds for the first time, he didn’t seem like he was the smaller man against the 5’4” Cruz. He played matador to the “Pitbull” and endured some heavy shots on the inside when footwork wasn’t enough. Let’s see if he can do it again.
Jarrell Miller vs. Filip Hrgovic
Jarrell Miller and Andy Ruiz left it all on the table throughout their entire 12 round contest. The action, particularly in the first half, and the majority draw make this a textbook case for an immediate rematch. But Ruiz’s broken hand will likely keep him on the shelf for an extended period of time.
Also Read: Conor McGregor next fight: Return fight for ‘Notorious’ pushed back to late summer
That means Miller still has to work to push his December TKO loss to Daniel Dubois behind him. Putting him against Filip Hrgovic, Dubois’ most recent casualty, feels like an appropriate next move. A win for Miller fast tracks him to a marquee fight while a win for Hrgovic reestablishes his place in the division.
Martin Bakole vs. Zhilei Zhang
Jared Anderson was thought of as the next great American heavyweight champion in the making. Martin Bakole violently spoiled those plans with his fifth-round knockout of “The Real Big Baby.”
Bakole should walk along the path projected for Anderson now. A match with Zhilei was on the table for Anderson before the Congolese slugger stepped in. So, let’s just put the two together and hope for fireworks. Bakole’s activity could force Zhang out of his comfort zone while Zhang’s power will keep Bakole honest.
