Terence Crawford called out by former titleholder.
Terence Crawford is one of the very best fighters of our era. If his December retirement is to remain permanent, he left the sport at 42-0, the undisputed champion, and practically on top of the world.
At 19-0, he looked to be a very skilled fighter, but it was only when he outpointed the heavy-handed “Khanqueror” Briedis Prescott that people properly took notice of Crawford.
From there, the Nebraskan would travel to Scotland to beat hometown hero Ricky Burns and become champion at lightweight. He would move up to super-lightweight and become champion there by stopping Thomas Dulorme.
He would become undisputed at super-lightweight, then venture up to welterweight to stop Jeff Horn and become the WBO champion.
Crawford would defend this strap six times across more than four years before he became the undisputed welterweight champion by trouncing Errol Spence Jr.
It was after that he became champion at super-welterweight by getting the decision over Israil Madrimov, then he would jump up two divisions to outbox Canelo Álvarez and become the undisputed super-middleweight champion.
That means championships across five weights, undisputed championships across three weights, and fighting for a major world title for the last 19 fights of his career.
Being 38 and having achieved everything he set out to do, nobody can blame Crawford if he stays retired.
There is one man who would still like to fight him, though.
Keith Thurman faces Sebastian Fundora for the WBC super-welterweight strap tomorrow night. At 37 years old, it isn’t known how much Thurman has left. If he should win, though, he has named Terence Crawford as one of the men he would fight next.
“We want ‘Bud’ [Crawford] to come back. We want ‘Bud’ back. ‘Bud’–I never got Crawford. I never got [Errol] Spence. I want ‘Bud’, bro”, said Thurman in a recent interview with FightHype.
Crawford has been adament that he will not come out of retirement, but if Thurman manages to pull off the upset against Fundora tomorrow, a Crawford vs. Thurman clash would be all the more appealing.
If it doesn’t materialise, though, Thurman has also recently called out Manny Pacquiao, who remains the only man to best Thurman in the ring.
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