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Terence Crawford quits boxing: ‘He has nothing left to prove’

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Five-division champion Terence Crawford announced on Tuesday that he was retiring from boxing.

The announcement came just three months after Crawford became the only boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three weight classes, which he accomplished in September when he defeated Canelo Alvarez to win the undisputed super middleweight title.

Crawford posted on social media that he was “leaving a great player with nothing more to prove.”

“I’m stepping away from the 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,” ​​Crawford said on his YouTube channel. “This isn’t goodbye, it’s the end of one fight and the beginning of another.”

He added: “I have given this sport every breath I have. Every scar, every triumph, every piece of my heart. I have come to terms with what comes next. And now the time has come. Thank you.”

Crawford, 38, retires from the sport with a record of 42-0 and 31 knockout victories. In addition to being the undisputed super middleweight champion, he became the undisputed welterweight champion by defeating Errol Spence Jr. by knockout in July 2023 and was the undisputed junior welterweight champion when he defeated Julius Indongo in August 2017.

Crawford has hosted 18 major world championships in five weight classes: lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and super middleweight. He topped ESPN’s Top 100 Players of 2025 and retired as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

“I’ve been chasing something my whole life,” Crawford said. “Not the stripes, not the money, not the headlines. But that feeling you get when the world doubts you and you keep showing up and proving everyone wrong.”

Fighting out of Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford made his professional debut in 2008 after failing to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. His debut was not met with as much enthusiasm as his peers and went unnoticed until he took the stage on three days’ notice to face Breidis Prescott in his first televised fight in the co-main event of the Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado 2 event on HBO in 2013. He easily overtook Prescott to win his first major world title when he defeated Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight title in 2014.

Crawford has struggled to start fights against bigger names in boxing and separated from Top Rank Promotions after a stoppage win over Shawn Porter in 2021 to test free agency. The move paid off and Crawford signed a contract to fight unified welterweight champion Spence to determine the undisputed champion. In a breakthrough performance, he dominated Spence, cementing himself as one of the best players of his generation.

However, Crawford was not satisfied and took the fight to Alvarez, who was competing three weight classes above him at 168 pounds. After defeating Israil Madrimov in his lone 154-pound fight in 2024, Crawford secured a September fight with Alvarez.

Despite competing at a lighter weight, Crawford brilliantly defeated Alvarez and won by unanimous decision. There was speculation that Crawford would seek a fourth undisputed title at 160 pounds or fight YouTuber-turned-award-winner Jake Paul, but Crawford chose to retire instead.

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Boxing

Lennox Lewis gives an truthful assessment of the Vitali Klitschko fight and the reasons he retired

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Lennox Lewis gives honest assessment of Vitali Klitschko fight and why he subsequently retired

Lennox Lewis surrendered on his own terms shortly after defeating Vitali Klitschko, but he still found it extremely arduous to hang up his gloves.

Before retiring, Lewis had firmly established himself as the all-time heavyweight champion, especially after he overtook Evander Holyfield for the undisputed crown in 1999.

Then “The Lion” would do it lost to Hasim Rahman in a shocker in 2001, then took revenge for the defeat by reaching the fourth round in the same year.

At this point he had beaten every fighter in the opposite corner, and he only continued this pattern after securing an eighth-round berth over Mike Tyson in 2002.

But instead of sailing off into the sunset, Lewis was convinced by his legendary trainer Emanuel Steward to fight Klitschko in 2003.

I’m talking to Heavenly sportsLewis said it was simply an opportunity to further cement his legacy by fighting the previous and potentially future heavyweight champion. He admitted that the performance was not pretty, but assured that he did his job.

“My coach Emanuel said, ‘Listen, you can beat the present and the future in this fight,’ and I said, ‘Well, I’ll take it.’ It wasn’t a pretty fight, but I still won.”

Indeed, it was a close fight between Lewis and Klitschko, who was ultimately stopped in the sixth round after suffering significant facial injuries.

However, Klitschko won the vacant WBC belt shortly thereafter and remained undefeated (defending the title 11 times) before retiring in 2012.

Meanwhile, Lewis was tempted to return several times, but was keenly aware of the focus and discipline he needed to compete at the highest level.

“There were many times I felt like jumping back into the ring, but stay focused [and] discipline kept me at bay.

“Let me tell you, it was difficult. I wanted to retire and say I wasn’t coming back and it was difficult to stay out of the ring. HBO gave me a job as a commentator and I was back there in front of boxing and trying to get away from boxing.

“I said I’ve done everything, I don’t have to prove anything anymore. So I stayed away from boxing.”

After retiring, Lewis became a widely respected pundit, analyst and commentator, largely due to his deep understanding of the sport.

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Sulaiman says Shakur has huge all-time potential

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Image: Derek 'Bozy' Ennis to Shakur Stevenson: "You Don't Have to Prove Anything to Anybody"

“He’s a great fighter. He has everything,” Sulaiman told Ring Champs. “He has all-time potential. He’s a great fighter.”

Sulaiman said Stevenson’s skills have already been proven in multiple leagues, adding that the latest move has only strengthened his standing in the sport.

The comments came when Sulaiman was asked whether Stevenson could finally become boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter. His answer was direct.

“I think so,” Sulaiman said. “He looks very good and sturdy in this weight class.”

Stevenson’s rise also became a major topic of conversation after the Teofimo fight. Sulaiman said the up-to-date division seemed to suit him physically.

At 28 years elderly, Stevenson is currently at the point in his career where accolades become expectations. Talent alone no longer divides him. The question is whether his upcoming fights match the level people currently see in him.

All the while, Sugar Ray Robinson was moving up from welterweight to middleweight and fighting the toughest monsters of his era without asking them to suck him parched. When you request a hydration clause, as Shakur did with Conor Benn at welterweight, you are essentially saying that you want your opponent to be at his weakest while you are at his best.

Sugar Ray Robinson didn’t ask for a “rehydration clause” during his fight with Jake LaMotta. He just went out and fought a much bigger, stronger man. If Shakur wants to be mentioned in the same breath, he must finally fight a fight in which he will not be the one dictated by physical disabilities.

Robinson didn’t ask for a “rehydration clause” in his fight with Jake LaMotta. He just went out and fought a much bigger, stronger man. If Shakur wants to be mentioned in the same breath, he must finally fight a fight in which he will not be the one dictated by physical disabilities.

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Gervonta Davis called out by world champion for mega fight: “I need it”

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Gervonta Davis called out by world champion for mega fight: “I need it”

Gervonta Davis’ future is currently in doubt, but that’s not stopping one of the reigning world champions from calling out ‘Tank’ for a showdown.

It was over a year since Davis last saw action in March 2025 against Lamont Roach Jr. This fight ended in a controversial majority draw, but “Tank” still defended his WBA lightweight title.

Since then, however, the Baltimore man’s life has been extremely hard. A first-time exhibition with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, scheduled for November, was canceled after Davis found himself at the center of domestic violence allegations.

Further allegations led to “Tank” losing his WBA belt and being declared champion during his hiatus, but earlier this year reports surfaced that he could return against former foe and current WBC interim super lightweight champion Isaac Cruz.

After Ryan Garcia posted, it’s yet another former foe of Davis who is now calling for a rematch social media his intention to secure a second fight.

“I pray I get a tank rematch one day. I need it back on equal footing. I need it!!!”

Garcia suffered a seventh-round loss to Davis when they met in April 2023, but “King Ry” has repeatedly said since the fight that he was far from his best as it was a 136-pound catchweight fight with a 10-pound rehydration clause.

in February Garcia defeated Mario Barrios to win the WBC welterweight titleand if Davis decides to campaign at 147 pounds, the prospect of winning world titles in another weight class could tempt him into a rematch with “King Ry.”

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