Bakhram Murtazaliev might change into the subsequent star at 154 if he can clear out the division, beating the highest names which can be courageous sufficient to battle him.
The ten-year skilled Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) made a reputation for himself with hardcore boxing followers by destroying former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu in three rounds final Saturday evening on the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
What IBF 154-lb champion Murtazaliev must do now could be defeat these fighters to say the throne within the division:
– Terence Crawford– Sebastian Fundora– Israil Madrimov– Serhii Bohachuk– Errol Spence– Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Murtazaliev, 31, might want to work shortly to get these fighters to comply with battle earlier than he begins growing older out. The best way fighters keep away from one another, it might take Murtazaliev years earlier than he’d get an opportunity to battle most of these fighters. That’s below perfect circumstances, with him profitable.
It’s unlikely that Crawford will settle for a battle with Murtazaliev as a result of he desires to ensure he doesn’t lose whereas ready for Canelo Alvarez to bless him. Initially, Crawford might have thought that it will be a chunk of cake for him to gather all of the belts at 154, however after his battle in opposition to Madrimov, he understands that it’not going to be the identical for him.
“We had the shock of Murtazaliev beating Tszyu. Now you notice that Murtazaliev is a really damaging and highly effective drive throughout the weight class. You’ve gotten a weight stuffed with highly effective and damaging forces,” mentioned Paulie Malignaggi to Probox TV, discussing IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev’s third-round knockout win over former WBO 154-lb champion Tim Tszyu final Saturday evening in Orlando.
If Murtazaliev can’t get the highest fighters to comply with face him, he’ll want to maneuver as much as 160 to get extra alternatives for vital fights. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh might make issues simpler for him if he could make it worthwhile for the opposite prime fighters at 154 to face Murtazaliev. He hasn’t mentioned something but about wanting to do this.
“You had tactical and exquisite boxing with Madrimov and Crawford. Which route are you going to go? I don’t know if Crawford desires to battle at 154 anymore as a result of there’s not sufficient star energy there to tickle his fancy. I believe Vergil Ortiz and Murtazaliev can be a collision of damaging powers.”
“If Murtazaliev goes on the market and beats all these guys. He’s not an excellent talker or very marketable, however guess what? He’s a foul man. He beat up an entire weight class. Now you’ve bought a star in your palms,” mentioned Chris Algieri. “Should you can battle and beat all people, finally, everybody goes to concentrate.”
If it had been that straightforward for Murtazaliev to get the fights in opposition to the highest man at 154, he’d have accomplished it a very long time in the past, and he wouldn’t have wasted 10 years of his profession combating unknowns. However now that he’s crushed Tszyu, he’s more likely to be handled like a leper by the opposite prime fighters within the division.
“Should you’ve bought a man like Murtazaliev, who was combating unknown for his entire profession. He was taking step apart cash for a bunch of alternatives. He fights Tim Tszyu and blows him out of the water. That’s the way you change into a star.”
Murtazaliev hasn’t change into a real star, however he’s at the least now identified by the hardcore boxing fand after his destruction of Tszyu. What would velocity up the method of turning Murtazaliev right into a star can be of Crawford agreed to battle him.
Once more, that’s unlikely to occur as a result of he realizes how good these fighters are at 154 now after his shut name in opposition to Madrimov, and he wont need to take an excellent greater threat in opposition to Murtazaliev.
