Smaller Venue, Bigger Card: Terence Crawford’s Title Pursuit Set for Intimate BMO Stadium

Published on [Current Date], this exclusive report from BoxingScene reveals a significant shift in the plans for Terence Crawford’s pursuit of a fourth division title on August 3rd. Initially slated to take place at the massive Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the event will now be hosted at the more intimate BMO Stadium, formerly known as Banc of California Stadium.

While downsizing the venue from the historic 75,000-plus-seat capacity to the 22,000-seat soccer-focused BMO Stadium, the promotion team led by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh has significantly bolstered the card with elite talent from Mexico. In addition to Crawford’s main event bout against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), the stacked lineup will feature the first 140-pound title defense by Mexico’s new WBA champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, as well as the highly anticipated return of former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr.

A formal news conference scheduled for Wednesday in New York will provide further details on the card, including the announcement of Cruz’s opponent and Ruiz’s next challenger. BoxingScene has also reported that the Crawford-Madrimov bout will be for the WBO interim junior middleweight title, with champion Sebastian Fundora recovering from a broken nose.

Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) earned his title with an electrifying eighth-round stoppage of former champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero on March 30, impressing fans as the co-main event to Fundora’s junior middleweight title victory. Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs), known for his dramatic 2019 title triumph over Anthony Joshua, will seek to position himself as a serious contender in the heavyweight division once more.

The event’s organizers are also exploring the possibility of a farewell bout for former three-division champion Abner Mares, potentially a trilogy clash against his Los Angeles rival, four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz. However, the details of this potential fight are still being finalized.

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