After becoming one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, Terence Crawford has officially retired from boxing. Taking to his Instagram, “Bud” Crawford shared a message where he announced that he’s hanging up his gloves.
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“I’m stepping away from competition, not because I’m done fighting but because I’ve won a different kind of battle. The one where you walk away on your own terms,” Crawford said. “This isn’t goodbye, this is the end of one fight and the beginning of another.”
“I gave this sport every breath I had,” Crawford continued. “Every scar, every triumph, every ounce of my heart. I’ve made peace with what’s next. And now, it’s time. Thank you.”
At 38, Crawford retires with a 42-0 record, with 31 wins coming by knockout. He became the undisputed super middleweight champion after his decisive defeat of Canelo Álvarez in September. He was also the undisputed champion in the welterweight division when he defeated Errol Spence Jr. by knockout in July 2023, and was the undisputed champion of the junior welterweight division when he stopped Julius Indongo in August 2017.
Fighting out of Omaha, Neb, Crawford did not have major backing from the top promoters in the sport. But he “got it out of the mud” w.ith each fight, each title, and his now regarded as an all-time great.
Over the course of his remarkable career, Crawford has earned some of boxing’s most coveted accolades. A five-division champion, Crawford has the distinction of being the first male fighter in the four-belt era to accomplish this feat. Only Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya have won more world titles in more weight classes than Crawford. He was also 20-0 (15 KOs) in title fights.
While fighters are known just as much for their retirements as for their unretirements, Crawford’s retirement seems different from that of his pugilistic peers. He has nothing to prove. He’s accumulated wealth beyond his wildest dreams, and his health is intact. Along with all of his championship titles and blockbuster prize fights, Crawford’s greatest accomplishment is that he’s going out on top.
“I’ve spent my whole life chasing something,” Crawford said. “Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you, and you keep showing up, and you keep proving everyone wrong.”8th
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