Terence Crawford retires from boxing. He does so undefeated, having won all 42 of his professional bouts and having captured world titles in five different weight classes. The news, which broke overnight like a bolt from the blue, has sparked mixed reactions among fans: some were disappointed, having hoped to admire “Bud’s” extraordinary skills for a while longer, while others expressed great appreciation for the American’s decision to walk away before his athletic abilities began to decline.
Crawford made his intention to hang up the gloves public through an Instagram post featuring a highlights video from his phenomenal career, accompanied by the following words:
Walking away as a great with nothing else left to prove. #CrawfordERA
Should he remain true to his decision, Bud will join the exclusive group of world champions who retired undefeated, ranking fifth among them in number of victories, behind only Ricardo López, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Rocky Marciano, and Joe Calzaghe (click here to read the full list).
Crawford won his first world title back in 2014, when he traveled to Glasgow—straight into hostile territory—and defeated local favorite Ricky Burns on points to claim the WBO lightweight world title. He went on to achieve further glory at super lightweight the following year, knocking out Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme to capture the vacant WBO belt.
After becoming the undisputed champion at 140 pounds with a quick victory over Julius Indongo, Bud claimed the WBO welterweight title in 2018 by dominating and stopping Australia’s Jeff Horn. His ascent to the top of the division culminated in the magnificent 2023 triumph over Errol Spence Jr., which earned Crawford all the world titles and cemented his status as one of the greatest champions of his era.
Still not satisfied, the American later added more belts to his collection, becoming super welterweight champion with a narrow victory over the tough Israil Madrimov before issuing a challenge to Saul “Canelo” Álvarez, who had ruled the super middleweight division for years. Despite jumping up two weight classes, Bud accomplished the incredible feat this past September, defeating the Mexican by unanimous decision.
While it is understandable that many fans would have liked to see the immensely talented American continue fighting, it must be remembered that Crawford is already 38 years old. His body has endured countless battles, and after the weight gain required to successfully compete at 168 pounds, signs of physical decline could have begun to emerge.
It is impossible not to recall what happened to Roy Jones Jr., who at 34 moved up to heavyweight to capture a world title and, upon returning to light heavyweight, showed a significant loss of reflexes that led to a long string of painful defeats.
Crawford chose not to take that risk and tarnish his legacy. He stepped away while sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings and will undoubtedly be remembered as an extraordinary great—one who would have been competitive at the highest level in any era.