Marcial's Former Amateur Rival Now World Champ
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 09 Mar 2024
Israil Madrimov (L) wins over Magomed Krubanov (R) in Saudi Arabia Friday.
Uzbekistan's Israil Madrimov who fought Eumir Felix Marcial three times in the amateurs, is now a world champion in the pro ranks.
In a clash for the vacant WBA super welterweight title formerly held by Jermell Charlo, WBA #1 Israil “The Dream” Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) scored a fifth round TKO over WBA #2 Magomed Kurbanov (25-1, 13 KOs) on Friday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Madrimov staggered Kurbanov in round five and got a quick referee’s stoppage with a vicious follow-up. Time was 2:20.
The Madrimov-Kurbanov fight was part of a high profile boxing promotion that included the heavyweight title eliminator between former triple world titlist Anthony Joseph versus MMA star Francis Ngannou, Zhang Zhilei's defense of his interim WBA heavyweight belt against ex titlist Joseph Parker and Rey Vargas defense of his WBA super featherweight crown against Nick Ball.
Madrimov fought Marcial three times between 2015 and 2017, losing once and winning two including their semifinal match in the Jakarta Asian Games in the middleweight which Madrimov also eventually won the gold.
Madrimov turned pro in 2019 after losing his last amateur fight versus Kazakhstan's Turnsybay Khulamet. (Curiously, it was Khulamet who Marcial floored on the way to points victory in the middleweight semifinals of the 2019 World Championships in Russia.) Madrimov started in the pros as welterweight.
Khulamet also turned pro in 2020 and fought at Junior middleweight progressing rapidly to win the WBC international belt in only his third pro bout. But since getting TKOd by veteran Juan Carlos Abreu, Khulamet's pro career has floundered.
Madrimov meanwhile was carefully moved along in the pros by his American handlers and with a title showdown versus Terrence Bud Crawford or Errol Spence far from happening, he started to campaign in the Junior middleweights where he became more successful, holding top contender Michael Soro to draw in their first fight and stopping Soro in their rematch. That made Madrimov the top contender and one of the fighters together with Magomed to vie for the vacant world crown.
By comparison, Marcial, after getting the bronze in the middleweight in the last Tokyo Olympics, has turned pro as middleweight with two victories since. But Marcial last fought as a light heavyweight in the last Asian Games where he likewise bagged a bronze which qualified him to the Paris Olympics.
Prior to Paris, Marcial is scheduled to fight as pro this March.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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