LEGACY DEFINED: WHY DID TERENCE CRAWFORD RETIRE AFTER THE CANELO MASTERCLASS
Following his dominant win over Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford retires at 38. We ask: Is his 42-0 record the greatest in history?
Terence Crawford, the record-breaking champ in three weight classes, has retired from boxing at 38.
Bud Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) told fans on social media yesterday that he's hanging up his gloves. "Walking away as a great with nothing else to prove," he said.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 28, 1987, the 5'8" Crawford became one of boxing's all-time greats. He won titles in four weight divisions and became the undisputed champ in three.
Crawford is the only boxer to hold The Ring Magazine titles in four divisions. He's also one of just three fighters, along with Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, to be a four-weight lineal champion.
In his 17 years as a pro, Crawford was never knocked down. No judge ever scored a fight in favour of his opponent.
He had eleven straight KOs in title fights, which is the third-longest streak ever. The Ring Magazine ranked him as the #3 pound-for-pound boxer of this century.
Crawford started boxing at seven. He had been kicked out of five schools for fighting. With his dad often away with the Navy, his mom raised him alone. A neighbour, Carl Washington, took him to the C.W. Boxing Club in North Omaha, where he coached. There, Crawford met Midge Minor, who became his mentor. Minor would even pick him up from school to make sure he trained and stayed out of trouble.
Crawford also wrestled when he was younger, and it shows in his boxing style. In 2001, Brian Bo Mac McIntrye and Esau Dieguez became his trainers and stayed with him for 24 years.
Crawford's last fight was against Canelo Alvarez. He moved up from super-welterweight to super-middleweight and beat the champ by decision in front of 41 million viewers.
Crawford is retiring at the top, just like he said, with nothing left to achieve.
Achievements
2006 Blue & Gold National Championships gold medal
2006 Golden Gloves silver medal
2006 U.S. National PAL Championships gold medal
2006 U.S. National Championships bronze medal
2007 U.S. National Championships bronze medal
2007 U.S. Pan American Box-Offs gold medal
2007 Pan American Games Qualifier bronze medal
NABO lightweight title
WBO lightweight title
The Ring lightweight title
WBO super-lightweight title
WBC super-lightweight title
The Ring super-lightweight title
WBA super super-lightweight title
IBF super-lightweight title
WBO welterweight title
WBA Super Welterweight Title
WBC welterweight title
IBF welterweight title
The Ring welterweight title
WBA super-welterweight title
WBO Interim super-welterweight title
WBA super super-middleweight title
WBC super-middleweight title
IBF super-middleweight title
WBO super-middleweight title
The Ring super-middleweight title
Awards
Sugar Ray Robinson Award 2014
Best Fighter ESPY Award 2018
Best Boxer ESPY Award 2024
2× ESPN Fighter of the Year 2014, 2017
4× ESPN Top 100: #2 (2022), #1 (2023), #3 (2024)
BoxingScene American Boxer of the Decade (2020s) 2025
The Ring magazine Performance of the Year 2023
WBC Performance of the Year 2023
5× WBO Fighter of the Year 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2025
WBO Most Fighter 2015
2× WBO Fight of the Year 2014, 2023
WBO Triple Crown Award 2018
WBO Most Consistent and Champion 2019
WBO Gordon Volkman Award 2015
4× WBA Boxer of the Month: August 2017, July 2023, August 2024, September 2025
Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Fighter of the Year 2018
The RING 8 Muhammad Ali International Fighter of the Year 2018
Sports Illustrated Prospect of the Year 2013
Bleacher Report Breakout Fighter of the Year 2014
Forbes Fighter of the Year 2017
Sporting News Men's Fighter of the Year 2023
Boxing News World Fighter of the Year 2023
CBS Sports Fighter of the Year 2014
HBO Fighter of the Year 2014
2× Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year 2017, 2023
2× Top Rank Fighter of the Year 2014, 2015
Top Rank Fight of the Year 2014
Top Rank Knockout of the Year 2014
Premier Boxing Champions Performance of the Year 2023
Metro Performance of the Year 2023
Boxing Junkie Fighter of the Year 2023
BOXRAW Knockout of the Year 2022
Boxing Insider Fighter of the Year 2023
WBN Stoppage of the Year 2023
The Sweet Science Performance of the Year 2023
Frontproof Media Fighter of the Year 2023
ProBox TV Fighter of the Year 2023
ProBox TV Performance of the Year 2023
The Queensberry Rules Fighter of the Year 2014
Pro Boxing Fans Fighter of the Year 2014
Pro Boxing Fans Round of the Year 2014
Pro Boxing Fans Breakout Performance of the Year 2014
Fight Hype Star in the Making 2013
Honors
The Omaha City Council declared Tuesday, March 4, 2014, as Terence Bud Crawford Day.
2× Key to the City of Omaha, Nebraska: 2014, 2025
The Shadow League Leadership Award 2015
Omaha Public Schools (OPS) Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022
University of Nebraska Omaha Spirit of the Maverick Award 2025
Crawford received a hand-stitched quilt from the Black Brown and Red Coalition, one of the highest honours from the Omaha Tribe, on October 22, 2025.
EGIS KLIMAS CONFIRMS MULTI-FIGHT AGREEMENT FOR OLEKSANDR USYK VS DEONTAY WILDER 2026
Oleksandr Usyk's manager, Egis Klimas, confirms a "very likely" 2026 fight against Deontay Wilder in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
A possible fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder may happen at the following time, according to Usyk’s manager.
In 2025, Oleksandr Usyk had only one bout in the ring, where he knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round of their rematch.
After that fight, there were rumours that the Ukrainian may retire from the sport because of had almost cleared out the heavyweight division.
Despite that, rumours were soon debunked, and the former undisputed heavyweight champion announced that he would be interested in facing former heavyweight title holder Deontay Wilder.
Usyk’s Manager Offers Date for Wilder Bout
It was reported a few weeks ago that Usyk had voluntarily relinquished his WBO heavyweight title. As a result, he is no longer undisputed.
Shortly after that announcement, the 38-year-old revealed he would like to fight ‘The Bronze Bomber,’ deeming him ‘one of the greatest heavyweights of the last 10 years.’
And when he was at the Night of the Samurai event last week, Usyk again was asked about his next potential opponent, and he repeated his desire to face Wilder.
On the likelihood of the fight, Usyk’s representative Egis Klimas told The National, “It’s very likely (we will see Usyk vs. Wilder). Because right now we’re working on it, and we’re working on some multi-fight agreement for Oleksandr.
“As soon as we confirm that, we’re going to jump in. And some talks are already going on with the team of Wilder. We’re looking at Las Vegas or Los Angeles, and the dates are the end of April and the beginning of May.”
The Ukrainian hasn't boxed Stateside since 2019, when he faced Chazz Witherspoon in his first heavyweight bout.
The selection of Wilder, however, is quite surprising, given his recent performance. The 40-year-old boxer is 2-3 in his last five bouts, suffering defeats at the hands of Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker, and Tyson Fury.
Would Usyk retire after the upcoming fight with Wilder? At the age of 38, the reality is that Usyk very likely has only a few bouts left in him at the very most. With the bulk of the heavyweight rankings already knocked out, there would be very little opposition left in the sport for Usyk, and retirement after a bout with Wilder would be expected.
32-0 AND COUNTING: IS NAOYA INOUE OFFICIALLY THE GREATEST OF THIS GENERATION?
Naoya Inoue wraps up a flawless 2025, tying Muhammad Ali’s record with four undisputed title defences in a single calendar year.
Inoue wrapped up 2025 with a flawless 4-0, defending his super-bantamweight title four times around the globe and proving he's the best in boxing. Beating Alan Picasso put him back on top of the pound-for-pound rankings, solidifying his place as the sport's biggest name.
Lots of fighters had great moments this year, but no one else showed the same level of consistent dominance, historical importance, and activity that Inoue did.
An Amazing Year of Championship Wins
Inoue finished the year with a 32-0 record (27 KOs) after wins against Ye Joon Kim, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and Alan Picasso. Each fight showed his command of the division, from quick knockouts to smart, well-fought decision wins against top contenders.
People noticed his cool demeanour, accuracy, and how he changes his strategy during fights, proving why he's considered the best.
Looking back at 2025, Inoue said, I wasn't sure about it myself, but I'll do my best to meet your expectations. To everyone who came to Riyadh and cheered us on, thanks a lot for your support.
We had so much support this year. Thanks! Happy New Year!
By successfully defending all four major belts four times this year, Inoue is the only male undisputed world champ left in boxing. He stayed active without injuries or performance drops, which set him apart from everyone else with a title.
While others picked and chose their fights, Inoue was always ready to put his title on the line.
Historical Wins and Worldwide Success
Besides being undefeated, Inoue's 2025 was historically awesome. He tied Muhammad Ali's record by defending the undisputed title four times in a single year.
Inoue also set a new record for the most consecutive world title fight wins, beating records held by Floyd Mayweather and Joe Louis.
His consistency across different countries was just as impressive. Inoue had amazing performances in Japan, the US, and Saudi Arabia, proving he's not just a local star but the most complete global champ in the sport.
This year, Inoue was the best in every category.
While other fighters had strong arguments, no one maintained undisputed control while building their legacy like Inoue did this year.
Inoue's multiple title defences made him the obvious choice.
A Familiar Honour, Earned Again
This is Inoue's second time winning WBN Fighter of the Year, after his undisputed wins in two divisions in 2023.
Winning again shows how great he is at the highest level of boxing. Very few fighters today have combined dominance with constant activity while adding to their legacy.
What's Next?
As 2025 ends, Inoue is not just boxing’s top champ, but the standard for sustained dominance. His wins have him moving from talking about what he could do to what his legacy will be. Future performances will be compared to what he’s already done.
The win over Picasso and return to number one P4P just shows he's unmatched.