Terence Crawford announces surprise retirement from boxing
Terence Crawford shook the boxing world on Tuesday by announcing his retirement, an unexpected decision that brings an end to one of the most dominant careers of the modern era.
At 38, the Omaha native decided to hang up his gloves at the top, undefeated and with a legacy that places him among the all-time greats.
Crawford bids farewell with a perfect record of 42 wins, 31 of them by knockout, after more than 17 years as a professional. With his unexpected retirement, Crawford leaves behind four titles in the 168-pound weight class.
“I’m retiring from competition, not because I’ve stopped fighting, but because I’ve won another kind of battle,” Crawford said in a YouTube video. “The battle where you retire on your own terms.”
Among the most decisive moments of his career was his victory over Errol Spence Jr., which established him as the undisputed welterweight champion, and the triumph that ultimately defined his legacy: his super middleweight victory over Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.
In September, Crawford moved up a weight class to face the Mexican and defeated him by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. That fight against Álvarez not only confirmed his sporting greatness, but also led him to win the undisputed super welterweight championship, an achievement that few considered possible.
“Every boxer knows this moment will come, we just never know when,” Crawford said.
After that historic fight, speculation began about new challenges and a possible rematch, but Crawford chose a different path. In his farewell message, he made it clear that his decision was not due to a lack of physical or competitive ability, but rather to the conviction that he had pushed himself to the limit and had nothing left to prove in the ring.
“I’ve spent my whole life chasing something,” Crawford said. “Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the feeling you get when the world doubts you, but you keep going and prove everyone wrong.”
Since his debut in 2008, he has built a career marked by versatility, tactical intelligence and an uncommon ability to adapt to any opponent and circumstance in the ring. Left-handed or right-handed as the fight demanded, his technical mastery was a constant throughout his career.
“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 my way. I gave this sport every last breath I had,” he said.
Over the years, Crawford won world titles in multiple divisions and established himself as one of the pound-for-pound greats of contemporary boxing.
His name went down in history when he became the undisputed champion in three different categories during the era of four belts, a feat that set him apart even among elite champions. With each weight class move, he faced skepticism and responded with compelling performances.
“I’m leaving like a great,” Crawford said.
This article first appeared in Spanish via Times en Español.