Terence Crawford has reflected on his accolades and career-defining performances, considering where his legacy places him among the all-time greats.
The former five-division world champion called time on his decorated career in December, having achieved undisputed status across three weight classes.
Not only that, but the masterful technician retired unbeaten after moving up two weight divisions and dethroning Canelo Alvarez in his last outing, collecting all four major titles at 168lbs.
Equally, Crawford’s ninth-round finish over Errol Spence Jr in 2023 will go down as one of the most surprisingly one-sided fights at the highest level.
But while most would consider ‘Bud’ an all-time great, there are perhaps others who would argue that a list of such pound-for-pound legends is already set in stone.
Sugar Ray Robinson, for instance, is widely regarded as the greatest fighter in history, given his resounding success between welterweight and middleweight and astonishing 174-19-6 (109 KOs) record.
Additionally, the likes of Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather often appear in top 10 lists of this nature, while the remaining spots tend to be a little more subjective.
As far as Crawford is concerned, though, he should be placed among legends such as of Robinson, Ali and Mayweather, telling Weighing In with Travis Hartman that his achievements speak for themselves.
“I’ll just say [my legacy] puts me as one of the best: [one of the] greatest boxers in the history of the sport, given all the things that I’ve done in the sport of boxing.
“There’s nothing that I haven’t accomplished – not one belt that I haven’t held. Only thing left is the Hall of Fame.”
While Crawford crafted a phenomenal career, the only criticism that could be made is that, through no fault of his own, his resume does not include a large selection of elite names.
But still, having defeated every fighter put in front of him, ‘Bud’ should absolutely be recognised as a generational great.
