Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov fight card: Three biggest storylines to follow in Los Angeles

Arguably boxing's top pound-for-pound fighter returns to the ring on Saturday when Terence "Bud" Crawford steps up in weight to take on WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov. The fight goes down at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and will air live on pay-per-view.

Crawford cemented his spot among the elite of the elite in July 2023 with a one-sided beating of Errol Spence to become undisputed welterweight champion. A rematch with Spence was expected to follow but never materialized, freeing Crawford up to pursue other opportunities, which starts Saturday with a move up in weight to pursue a new title for his trophy case.

Madrimov is a talented undefeated fighter who has parlayed his top-tier European amateur success into a 10-0-1 record and a world championship. A win for Madrimov would make him one of the most talked about fighters in the sport and also move him into consideration for huge fights down the road.

But there's more than just one fight on the card and the undercard features plenty of intriguing action and familiar names.

Let's take a look at the biggest storylines as Saturday's event -- and Crawford vs. Madrimov -- draws closer.

There's danger in this fight for Crawford

Crawford is a great fighter, arguably the best boxer on Earth. That is reflected in his being a -700 fight for his first fight at junior middleweight against a reigning champion. Don't get it twisted, though, there is plenty of danger in this fight for Crawford. "Bud" was big for welterweight and making the cut was only getting harder as he got older. It will likely be much more comfortable for Crawford to make 154 pounds. Crawford also isn't going to be a much smaller man in the fight with Madrimov, with the fighters being being roughly the same height but Crawford having the reach advantage.

Still, Madrimov is the younger man at 29 while Crawford will turn 37 in September. Also, Crawford is not a particularly active fighter. This will be Crawford's first fight in more than a year. The potential for age, ring rust and a new weight class could add up to being something of a tricky fight for Crawford, especially against a talented fighter like Madrimov, who has many of the same skills as Crawford, if not quite at Crawford's level.

Crawford should be expected to win but this is a risky fight. If Crawford has an off night or if age and ring rust catch up to him a bit, Madrimov is a talented enough fighter to take advantage.

Can a Crawford win land him the Canelo fight?

Canelo Alvarez has flip-flopped somewhat on whether he would be willing to take a superfight against Crawford. Initially, Alvarez was a firm "no" on the possibility of facing Crawford, citing criticism of him facing smaller men in the past as a primary reason for refusing. Alvarez's stance has softened somewhat since, suggesting that he would be willing "if the money is right."

Crawford wants the fight, and perhaps just as importantly, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, wants the fight. Alalshikh has said he will make a big money offer to Alvarez, to be negotiated between the two with no middle men, for a Crawford fight in December or January. If there's anyone who can make the money "right" for Alvarez, it's Alalshikh and his seemingly endless deep pockets.

Crawford and Alvarez are in similar places in their careers, with the power and position in the sport to only take the fights they are interested in. For both men, those decisions are primarily financially motivated with legacy a secondary motivator. There's no bigger fight for Crawford and the only bigger fight for Alvarez might be a clash with David Benavidez, a fighter he's made it clear he's simply not willing to face.

As long as Crawford doesn't stumble on Saturday, the path could be clear for Crawford vs. Alvarez.

A pay-per-view with a compelling undercard

It's always nice when fans are given more than one interesting fight when they're asked to shell out $80 for a pay-per-view event. That is the case on Saturday, with a deep card featuring multiple intriguing fights.

Let's take a quick look at some of the most interesting fights on the undercard.

• David Morrell is making the move to light heavyweight to face Radivoje Kalajdzic for the vacant WBA light heavyweight championship, which is actually a secondary championship to Dmitry Bivol's WBA super championship. Morrell, like Benavidez, had to move to light heavyweight when it became clear after years as a mandatory challenger to Alvarez would never see him actually get the fight he was owed. He's a massive favorite against Kalajdzic and brings a seven-fight knockout streak (and a 10-0 pro record) to the ring. The real intrigue in this fight is in how solid light heavyweight has become with Benavidez and Morrell moving up. With Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol meeting to crown an undisputed champion in October, there are now two intriguing contenders waiting in the wings.
  
• What version of Andy Ruiz will show up against Jarrell Miller on Saturday? Ruiz pulled off one of the most famous upsets in heavyweight history in 2019, knocking out Anthony Joshua to win three world championships. It was a moment where Ruiz put all the pieces together to be what he always had to potential to be. The rematch saw him come to the ring much heavier, giving into the worst instincts he has in being undisciplined with his body. Ruiz hasn't fought since September 2022 and now faces Miller. "Big Baby" has had plenty of discipline issues of his own, from multiple failed drug tests to weighing in anywhere from 270 pounds to more than 340. Will either man show up ready and able to maintain a position as a potential heavyweight contender moving forward?
• Heavyweights of a different stripe meet when Jared Anderson takes on Martin Bakole. Anderson is the Great American Hope at heavyweight, with a 17-0 record and 15 wins by knockout. He's taking a real step up against Bakole, who is the WBA's No. 1 ranked heavyweight. Unlike Ruiz and Miller who are fighting to prove they're still relevant, Anderson and Bakole are competing for a real spot as a top contender to undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, or for the titles that will get scattered if Usyk decides to retire after his rematch with Tyson Fury.
• Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz looks to score a big-money fight when he faces Jose Valenzuela. Cruz was the lucky man to land a fight with Rolando Romero when Romero held the WBA junior welterweight title. Romero was viewed as likely the weakest world champion in boxing and Cruz thumped him to take the belt. That positioned Cruz to potentially land lucrative fights such as a long-chased rematch with Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who defeated Cruz in a very competitive 2021 bout. Valenzuela is coming off his own impressive win, knocking out Chris Colbert in a rematch in December. Whoever wins this fight will hold a prize that could entice big-name fighters including Davis, Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney and others into the ring.