Terence Crawford has announced his retirement from the sport of boxing, hanging up his gloves as an undefeated five-division world champion.
The decision — though the perfect choice in the eyes of many — came out of the blue following some hints from the 38-year-old himself that he would fight on.
Saying that he has ‘nothing left to prove,’ Crawford thanked his team and fans in his announcement on social media. He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer when the time comes, and leaves the sport as arguably the very best of his generation.
Another American great in Andre Ward reacted to the news with positivity, saying on Instagram that ‘Bud’ — who beat Canelo Alvarez this year to become undisputed in a third weight class — had made an excellent decision.
“Salute to a real one … Bud beat one of the toughest opponents any fighter will ever face: the sport itself! Yes lawd! Leaving this brutal, demanding, unforgiving sport on your own terms is going to continue to be fashionable. Retire from boxing, don’t let boxing retire you.”
Ward also retired without suffering defeat, calling time on his campaign in 2017 after a second victory over Sergey Kovalev.
Crawford leaves a hole in the sport having become one of its biggest attractions over the past few years, beginning with a statement victory over Errol Spence Jr in 2023. With his decision, he has closed the door on a rematch with Canelo, or a potential move down to middleweight to win a world championship in a sixth division.
