Terence Crawford, an undefeated world champion, has announced his retirement. The 38-year-old made the announcement on Tuesday, just three months after his biggest career win against Canelo Álvarez.
Crawford, who is from Nebraska, shared the news in a video on social media. In September, he defeated Mexican star Canelo Álvarez in Las Vegas to become the undisputed super middleweight champion.
“I’m stepping away from competition,” Crawford said. “It’s not because I can’t fight anymore, but because I’ve won a different kind of fight. This is about leaving the sport when I choose to.”
Crawford ends his career with a perfect record of 42 wins and no losses. He won 31 of those fights by knockout. His last win was a clear decision over Álvarez, which made him the WBA, IBF, and WBO super middleweight champion. He also briefly held the WBC title but lost it this month after a disagreement over fees.
In his video, Crawford spoke about what motivated his long career. “I spent my whole life chasing a feeling,” he said. “It wasn’t about titles or money. It was about proving people wrong. I fought for my family, for my city, and for the kid I once was, the one who only had a dream and some boxing gloves.”
Crawford started his professional career in 2008. He won his first world title, the WBO lightweight championship, in 2014 by defeating Scotland’s Ricky Burns.
Over his career, Crawford won 18 world titles across five different weight classes. He was never knocked down in any fight. Every one of his 42 wins was by knockout or by unanimous decision, meaning no judge ever scored a fight for his opponent.
He retires as one of boxing’s most accomplished and respected champions.