Boxing

Jim Lampley Drops Clear Message On Terence Crawford Retirement Rumors

Jim Lampley addressed whether he believes Terence Crawford will remain retired.
Grant Young|
Jim Lampley (HBO USA) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA on May 8, 2010.
Jim Lampley (HBO USA) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA on May 8, 2010. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

On December 16, Terence "Bud" Crawford announced his retirement from professional boxing through a YouTube video.

This decision comes a few months after the undefeated five-division world champion and three-time undisputed champion beat Canelo Alvarez to take his super middleweight belts.

There was a lot of speculation about whether Crawford would hang up the gloves after that bout, if only because there was nothing left for him to conquer in the sport (not to mention that he made life-changing money for that bout).

However, retirements in combat sports are notoriously fickle. And despite what Crawford claimed, many people within the industry think that he's going to return to the ring again, perhaps even as soon as 2026.

Jim Lampley Doesn’t See Terence Crawford Coming Out of Retirement

One boxing icon who doesn't believe that Crawford is coming out of retirement anytime soon is Jim Lampley, who is best known for being HBO's blow-by-blow announcer for decades. Lampley spoke with Nate Marrero of Ring Magazine and addressed the rumors around Crawford ending his retirement.

“Beating Canelo, that’s the ultimate career accomplishment for him so far. One reason for him to walk away would be what else is there on the horizon that matches the public impact of beating Canelo?" Lampley was quoted as saying in the article, which was published on December 25.

“Unless he's going to go to light heavyweight and fight somebody there, I don't see it," Lampley continued. "This is a remarkable crowning achievement for his career. He has proven more than almost anybody would have thought he could... Every time I've spoken to [Crawford], I've been amazed at his level of self-possession, his level of self-definition [and] the spirited uniqueness of his goals. Unique is an overused word, but Terence is a unique fighter."

Terence Crawford speaks to media on September 13, 2025.
Terence Crawford speaks to media on September 13, 2025. | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

“At first I expressed doubt [about Crawford actually retiring]. I am now not inclined to push back against what Terrence Crawford says. He's a person of tremendous personal resolve. He is very self-defined. He has come from challenges in his background and has beaten them all back. He has proven to any intelligent analyst's satisfaction that he's the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world," Lampley added.

"It's a great moment to step out, if that’s what he wants to do.”

Crawford's retirement will be a fascinating story to follow in 2026, along with who he would fight if he does end up making a comeback.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.