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Andreas Hell
Five-division champion Terence Crawford said Tuesday he has retired from boxing.
The announcement came just three months after Crawford became the only boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three weight classes when he accomplished the feat by defeating Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight championship in September.
Crawford posted on social media that he was leaving as “a great man with nothing more left to prove.”
“I’m stepping away from competing, not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different kind of fight. One where you go on your own terms,” Crawford said on his YouTube channel. “This is not goodbye, this is the end of one fight and the beginning of another.”
He added, “I gave every breath of my being to this game. Every wound, every victory, every particle of my heart. I have made peace with what’s next. And now, it’s time. Thank you.”
The 38-year-old Crawford retired with a record of 42–0, with 31 wins coming by knockout. In addition to being undisputed at super middleweight, he became undisputed in the welterweight division when he defeated Errol Spence Jr. by knockout in July 2023, and he was the undisputed champion of the junior welterweight division when he stopped Julius Indongo in August 2017.
Crawford has held 18 major world championships in five weight classes: lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and super middleweight. He topped ESPN’s Top 100 Fighters of 2025 and retired as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
“I spent my whole life chasing something,” Crawford said. “Not the belt, not the money, not the headlines. But that feeling you get when the world doubts you and you keep showing up and proving everybody wrong.”
Fighting out of Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford made his professional debut in 2008 after being unsuccessful in his bid to make the U.S. Olympic team. His debut did not receive as much fanfare as his peers, and he flew under the radar until arriving on three days’ notice to face Briedis Prescott in 2013 for his first televised fight in the co-main event of the Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado 2 card on HBO. He easily outpointed Prescott and won his first major world title in 2014 by defeating Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight title.
Crawford had to contend with the biggest names in boxing and broke away from the top ranks following his 2021 stoppage win over Shawn Porter. The move was successful and Crawford signed a deal to face unified welterweight champion Spence to determine an undisputed champion. In a breakout performance, he dominated Spence to cement his place as one of the best fighters of his generation.
But Crawford was not satisfied and fought Alvarez, who competed three weight classes up from him at 168 pounds. After defeating Israel Madrimov in his lone fight at 2024 at 154 pounds, Crawford secured a September fight with Alvarez.
Although he competed at a disadvantage in size, Crawford brilliantly outclassed Álvarez and won via unanimous decision. There was speculation that Crawford would seek a fourth undisputed title at 160 pounds or fight YouTuber turned prizefighter Jake Paul, but Crawford instead opted for retirement.
