Boxing

Terence Crawford Reveals Why He's Retiring From Boxing

The legendary Terence Crawford made a massive personal announcement on December 16.
Grant Young|
Terence Crawford on September 9, 2025.
Terence Crawford on September 9, 2025. | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

Ever since Terence Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez on September 13 to take Canelo's undisputed super middleweight belts, there has been speculation about what Crawford will do next in his career.

What was for sure is that Crawford had nothing left to prove in the sport. In jumping up two weight classes to defeat Canelo, Crawford became the first male boxer to be an undisputed champion in three different weight classes. He dominated another great of his generation, improved his record to 42-0, and made more money than he knew what to do with.

Initially, the chatter was about who Crawford would fight next. Some names that came up were a rematch with Canelo, dropping down to the 160-pound division and chasing his fourth undisputed belt, or even potentially facing Jake Paul. However, many didn't want to acknowledge that Crawford had turned 38 years old at the end of September, and retirement was a real possibility.

Terence Crawford
IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

And as of December 16, the boxing world knows Crawford's next move, as he released a YouTube video that announced his retirement from boxing competition.

Terence Crawford Explains Retirement Decision

In the YouTube video, Crawford said, "Every fighter knows this moment will come. We just never know when. I spent my whole life chasing something... That feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you, but you keep showing up, and you keep proving everyone wrong."

After speaking about his motivations throughout his boxing career, Crawford added, "I gave this sport every breath I had. Every scar, every triumph, every ounce of my heart. And I've made peace with what's next. And now, it's time. Thank you."

Crawford thanked his opponents, his fans, and his haters and doubters, he said, "Thank you. Because without you, without having that fire in my gut to prove each and every one of you wrong, you pushed me to heights I never thought I'd reach."

Crawford than thanked Turki Alalshikh, TKO, Top Rank, then every member of his team and his family.

At the end of his message, Crawford said, "I'm stepping away from competition. Not because I'm done fighting, but because I've won a different kind of battle. 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."

In other words, Crawford wanted to retire from the sport before it retired him.

Now all that's left to do is for the boxing community to thank Crawford for the indelible impact he left on the sweet science. And he'll go down as one of the greatest to ever lace up the gloves.

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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.