By: Sean Crose
The WBC super middleweight interim title was at stake Saturday in Saudi Arabia as the undefeated 22-0 Virgil Ortiz Jr. defended his belt against the 10-1-1 Israil Madrimov, who was widely known as possibly the only fighter to give Terence Crawford a run for his money (even though Crawford ultimately emerged victorious). The bout on Saturday was scheduled for 12 championship rounds. The first round wasn’t explosive, but both men looked sharp as they maneuvered for an advantage. The second saw Madrimov successfully move about the ring in a herky-jerky style.
Ortiz continued to stalk his man in the third, and by the fourth was able to start landing on his man. He continued to be able to reach Madrimov in the fifth. By the sixth it was clear the bout was less barn burner than it was chess match – not that it was a bad thing. Both men were following their game plans and the fight up until that point was very close. And indeed, the match remained close in the seventh. In truth, however, it was Ortiz who was clearly pushing the action. Madrimov was a defensive fighter, true – but he wasn’t keeping Ortiz at bay anymore.
The eighth saw Madrimov keep moving effectively, but he needed to throw more. Ortiz then went on to work the body quite effectively in the ninth. Madrimov was starting t be dominated by his determined foe. Things became heated in the tenth, as Madrimov clearly had decided his plan wasn’t working. It was the most exciting chapter of the fight. An aggressive Madrimov performed well in the eleventh. Ortiz was fighting effectively, but it was clear he was now in a fight.
The last round saw a high octane performance from both men. Each fighter threw with bad intentions as the minutes, then the seconds, wound down. After the final bell rang, the judges ruled in favor of Ortiz by scores of 117-11, 115-113, 115-113. Ortiz was subsequently able to exit the ring with the WBC interim title still in his possession.
