Boxer Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, who has won world championships in five different weight classes, announced his retirement from the sport on Dec. 16.
Crawford posted the announcement on social media with a caption saying ‘Walking away as a great with nothing else left to prove.’
‘I’ve been blessed to live out a dream that started long before the lights, the fans, or the world titles. From Omaha to the biggest stages in boxing, every step of this journey was earned through sacrifice, discipline, and faith,’ Crawford wrote in the caption of a five-minute YouTube video.
‘I gave this sport everything I had. I faced the best, moved through weight classes, and made history on my own terms. 42-0. 3x Undisputed. 5 Division World Champion. No shortcuts. No excuses.
‘This isn’t goodbye to boxing … it’s a thank you. Thank you to my family, my team, my city, and the fans who rode with me through every chapter. Thank you to the sport for shaping the man I am today. The gloves may have come off, but legacy is forever.’
The 38-year-old Crawford finishes his career with a 42-0 record (31 KOs), including his last fight in September, an unanimous decision victory over Canelo Alvarez, taking the World Boxing Council super-middleweight title.
Just two weeks ago, the WBC stripped Crawford of that belt for failing to pay their sanctioning fees.
“Very unfortunately, the WBC did not receive an acknowledgment of receipt nor any response to any of those communications,” the WBC said at the time. “The WBC had no choice but to act.”
Crawford, an Omaha, Nebraska, native, had been boxing since he was 8, and turned professional in 2008 after a prolific amateur career. He started racking up world titles in 2013, winning the NABO lightweight title with a TKO victory over Alejandro Sanabria.
Crawford then won world titles at light welterweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and super middleweight, becoming the first boxer ever to be crowned undisputed champion in three weight classes.