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What Terence Crawford saw before he retired

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Image: BoMac Says Crawford Will Keep His Belts and Not Face Benavidez

“No, not at all. That would be stupid of me,” Crawford said. “I’m 38 years vintage. 38 years in boxing. I’ve been boxing since I was seven. I have nothing more to prove. I have nothing else to achieve.”

The response did not concern a correction to the minutes. It was about rejecting the idea that boxing had forced its hand on him. Crawford wanted to make it clear that he left on his own terms. However, his next comment revealed much more than he probably intended.

“They’re not going to admit I’m wrong anyway, so it doesn’t really matter,” Crawford said.

This line explains everything. Crawford isn’t saying there are no more risky fights. He says there are no more fights that reward him for taking real risks. Victories no longer lift his spirits. Losses would destroy the entire narrative.

There was a fight with Carlos Adames in the middleweight division. He didn’t promise a gigantic payout and offered a compact loan if you won. That would be brutal too. Adames is juvenile, aggressive and hunts opponents. This isn’t a fight where Crawford can rely on punching, running and holding to survive.

In the super middleweight division, the situation was even worse.

After defeating Canelo Alvarez, Crawford faced immediate pressure to defend against Christian Mbilli, Lester Martinez and Osleys Iglesias. They are the juvenile lions of the division – fighters who apply constant pressure and do not give senior technicians time or space to manage the rounds.

At the age of 168, Canelo’s last title defenses were against Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia, William Scull and the well-to-forty Gennady Golovkin. This environment would not protect Crawford for long.

There was also a clear line he didn’t want to cross. When Turki Alalshikh publicly suggested a fight with David Benavidez, Crawford immediately silenced her. The balance of risk and reward didn’t make sense to him.

There were already warning signs in the ring. Crawford defeated Canelo by two scores of 115–113 and a questionable 116–112, which was met with criticism.

Earlier, Crawford took a narrow decision at 154 against Israil Madrimov and still didn’t look like the best fighter in the division.

If Crawford had been forced to work his way to Canelo by fighting Mbilli, Martinez or Iglesias first, there’s a real chance he wouldn’t have made it to that fight at all. These warriors don’t wait. They don’t age. They hunt. This is a scenario Crawford avoids.

Critics such as Oscar De La Hoya have already questioned the content of Crawford’s resume, arguing that his two signature wins came against 35-year-old Canelo and Errol Spence Jr., years after a near-fatal car crash. Crawford hears these arguments. And he knows what will happen if he loses again.

“When you’re so much better than the competition,” Crawford said, “and you make them look like they’ve never looked before, everyone says, ‘Oh, they’re washed, or that guy’s a bum.'”

This is not self-confidence. It’s the fear of reversal. Because if Crawford had stayed and lost – once, twice or repeatedly – ​​the mystery would have disappeared. Paydays would shrink. The conversation will turn around overnight. And the idea that he was protected by timing and mate selection would no longer be theoretical.

Retirement now makes such settlement impossible. He didn’t leave because boxing had nothing for him anymore. He left because staying on the show risked revealing more than he wanted to see.

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Boxing

Eddie Hearn warns that Zuffa athletes could lose their world title eligibility

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Image: Eddie Hearn Says Zuffa Fighters Should Lose Access To World Titles

“I think there will be a large split in boxing now,” promoter Matchroom Hearn told the media. “If you go with Zuffa, you’re out of the governing bodies. I think that’s really what it’s going to have to be like.”

Hearn’s comments come at a time when Zuffa Boxing is gaining momentum and gaining attention from fighters and promoters across the sport. The long-term question was whether the events would interact with the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO systems, or go in a different direction.

Hearn explained his position.

“If you sign with Zuffa, you can’t win the world championship,” he said. “You can’t have it both ways.”

He pointed to the recent movement to include titleholders and challengers, arguing that fighters who leave the customary route are giving up some of what boxing has historically valued most.

“Legacy will always be the answer,” Hearn said.

This line leads to a real fight under the headlines. Zuffa can offer money, platform power and stern promotion via TKO. Time-honored boxing still offers belts, rankings and the story behind becoming a champion.

Many competitors will try to secure both if possible. Hearn is doubtful whether the balance can be maintained.

Hearn also criticized recent arguments against the Ali Act and said income transparency remains one of the strongest protections for combatants in the current US system.

Whether fans agree with Hearn or not, he touched on something real. Boxing may be heading down two separate paths, and fighters will soon have to decide which is more vital.

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Moses Itauma is open to fighting the “legend” KO artist who wants to test his beard

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Moses Itauma open to facing KO artist ‘legend’ who wants to test his chin

Moses Itauma is willing to face the uncompromising heavyweight veteran after his last fight, a methodical fifth-round stoppage victory over Jermaine Franklin.

The 21-year-old showed his world-class potential last month, scoring a third-round knockout before stopping the typically tough Franklin with a powerful uppercut.

Itauma has since been named mandatory challenger for the WBO title, putting him in pole position to face the winner of the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois fight at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on May 9.

However, this highly developed talent is ranked No. 1 in the WBA and No. 2 in the WBC, which gives him several options to consider before his next assignment.

WITH Itauma is reportedly expected to return in JulySeveral candidates are already being considered as potential opponents, including the likes of Murat Gassiev and Filip Hrgovic.

As for a potential fight with Deontay Wilder, Itauma said DAZN in preparations for the American’s fight with Derek Chisora, that he would be open to fighting him.

“If he wins, yes. You have to weigh the risk against the reward. What do you get [from fighting] his?

“He is a legend in the sport and I really respect him, but you have to weigh the pros and cons.”

After suffering two knockdowns and beating Chisora ​​by split decision earlier this month, former world champion Wilder is looking for another chance.

I’m talking to ESPNThe 40-year-old said he was not in the mood to avoid potential opponents, including Itauma, who made a huge impression on him against Franklin.

“I’m a heavyweight. All the other characters are heavyweights. Why not? I’m not [dodging] anyone.

“I didn’t know who Moses was, but I saw his last fight with Franklin… What a damn KO. He seems like a potential champion. Why not test him?”

Since their confused encounter, Chisora ​​has demanded an immediate rematch with Wilder, who will likely face an alternate opponent in his next fight.

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Jared Anderson withdraws from May 9 fight with a torn bicep

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Image: Jarrell Miller Claims Jared Anderson Pulled Out of Their September 13th

Ring Magazine reports that Anderson withdrew from his fight with Solomon Dacres after suffering a bicep injury. The 10-round heavyweight bout was scheduled for Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

Anderson (18-1, 15 KO) was looking for another step back after a knockout loss to Martin Bakole in 2024. Instead, the 26-year-old now faces another delay at a bad time in his career.

The fight at Dacres was not a world-class test, but it had value. Anderson needed rounds, activity and a consistent win on a major heavyweight card. Now that’s gone, and the injury gives critics more room to question where his career is headed.

The reaction from boxing fans was fierce, with several responses pointing out Anderson’s injury history and durability. Some questioned whether his body would hold up in the heavyweight division. Others suggested he might have to consider considering the cruiserweight division if physical problems persist.

It may be tough, but it’s the kind of failure that changes the way you view your prospect. Anderson still has talent, but he’s no longer talked about as a pure future heavyweight star. Now he’s trying to prove he can stay vigorous long enough to rebuild.

Moving to Queensberry and fighting in the UK seemed like a desperate attempt to find a novel environment that could boost his confidence. But this bicep injury is a disaster because it adds another year of rust to a psyche that already looked feeble. You won’t rebuild your self-confidence at the gym.

A torn bicep effectively means Jared Anderson’s career will be in frigid storage until the end of 2026. Recovery from this type of surgery usually takes six to nine months before a player can even think about hitting a full-power shot with that hand.

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