Undefeated Hall of Fame legend ‘salutes’ Terence Crawford for retiring while still at the top

Terence Crawford has announced his retirement from the sport of boxing, hanging up his gloves as an undefeated five-division world champion.

The decision – although the perfect choice in the eyes of many – came out of nowhere following some hints from the 38-year-old himself that he would continue to fight.

Saying he has “nothing left to prove,” Crawford thanked his team and fans in his social media announcement. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when the time comes and leaves the sport as arguably the best of his generation.

Another American great, Andre Ward, reacted to the news with positivity, saying on Instagram that “Bud,” who beat Canelo Alvarez this year to go undisputed in a third weight class, made a great decision.

“Hail to a real… Bud beat one of the toughest opponents a fighter can face: the sport itself! Yes, my God! Leaving this brutal, demanding, unforgiving sport on your own terms is going to continue to be in style. Retire from boxing, don’t let boxing retire you.”

Ward also retired undefeated, ending his campaign in 2017 after a second victory over Sergey Kovalev.

Crawford leaves a void in the sport, which has become one of its biggest attractions in recent years, starting with a resounding victory over Errol Spence Jr in 2023. With his decision, he closed the door to a rematch with Canelo, or a possible move up to middleweight to win a world championship in the sixth division.