Boxing loses one of its most outstanding champions as Terence Crawford announces retirement at age 38 with a flawless 42-0 professional record. The announcement arrived Tuesday via an emotional social media video, bringing closure to an outstanding career that redefined excellence in the sport.
Crawford’s September showdown with Canelo Álvarez in Las Vegas will be remembered as a masterpiece of boxing excellence. The unanimous decision victory secured the undisputed super middleweight championship and showcased Crawford’s outstanding abilities, providing the perfect conclusion to his legendary career.
In his retirement message, Crawford stressed the personal importance of making the decision himself. He spoke candidly about the forces that sustained him throughout his career—proving skeptics wrong, supporting his family, representing Nebraska proudly, and achieving the dreams of the boy who dared to pursue boxing greatness.
Crawford turned professional in 2008 and captured his first world title in 2014 by defeating Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight championship. His southpaw stance and technical brilliance allowed him to dominate five different weight divisions, adapting his approach to overcome every challenge and establish himself as boxing’s pound-for-pound king.
The final statistics are extraordinary: 42 victories without defeat, 31 by knockout, 18 world titles across five weight classes, never knocked down, and holding three super middleweight championships (WBA, IBF, WBO). Crawford’s perfect record includes the remarkable fact that every victory came by stoppage or unanimous decision, with no judge ever scoring against him in any round of any fight throughout his entire professional career.