In the wake of a career-defining victory over Canelo Alvarez in September, Terence “Bud” Crawford is retiring from the sport of boxing.
Crawford, 38, announced his retirement, closing his legendary career as the only men’s three-division undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
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“I’m stepping away from competition. Not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different kind of battle,” Crawford said in a YouTube video on Dec. 16. “The one where you walk away on your own terms. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just the end of one fight and the beginning of another.”
Crawford won world titles in five different weight classes throughout his 17-year career, first at lightweight and most recently at super middleweight.
He became the first male fighter in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed status in two weight classes when he defeated Errol Spence Jr., later going on to win a third when he defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision earlier this year, jumping two weight classes to make history.
With the win Crawford became the first male fighter since Henry Armstrong to claim the undisputed titles in three different divisions.
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“I used to spend my whole life chasing something,” Crawford stated. “Not belts. Not money. Not headlines, but that feeling; the one when you get when the world doubts you, but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong.”
Harrison Campbell covers boxing for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@usatodayco.com and follow him on Twitter @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford retires from boxing at 38 with 42-0 record
