Terence “Bud” Crawford, one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all time, announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday night.
Crawford was a perfect 42-0 in his career, including an unanimous victory over Canelo Alvarez in his final bout last September at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which made him the undisputed super middleweight champion. As he was already the junior welterweight and welterweight title holder, the win made him the first person in the four-belt era to be at the top of three different weight divisions at the same time.
All told, Crawford was a champion in five divisions at points during his career.
During his perfect run, 31 of those wins came via knockout. He was 20-0 (15 KOs) in title fights.
Crawford, 38, released a five-minute video to explain his decision.
“You just never know when. I spent my whole life chasing something,” he says in the video. “Not belts. Not money. Not headlines. But that feeling, that one you get when the world doubts you, but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong.”
“This sport gave me everything. I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breath I have. Every scar. Every triumph. Every ounce of my heart. And I’ve made peace with what’s next.”
Crawford, an Omaha, Nebraska, native, started boxing when he was 8 and turned professional in 2008.
