Terence Crawford is, for many, one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters still boxing, and with a record of 41-0, it’s clear that Crawford has held the recipe for success for a long while.
Terence Crawford defeated Israil Madrimov in his last fight to become the WBO super welterweight champion.
This marks the fourth weight division conquered by the Omaha native. In 2023, Crawford became the first undisputed welterweight champion since 2006 when he demolished Errol Spence Jr. in a bout that many had thought would be a 50/50 fight.
Spence was since set to jump into a world title fight against Sebastian Fundora, but this has not come to fruition.
Crawford is deep in talks to face Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas in September in what will be the toughest test of his career to date, primarily due to the sheer weight difference between the pair.
The Crawford vs Canelo fight was seemingly cancelled, much to the dismay of fans, before Turki Alalshikh confirmed Alvarez had signed a four-fight deal with him earlier this month, salvaging the fight.
A fight with Canelo has been widely talked about, with even Mike Tyson weighing in on who would win Canelo v Crawford.
With wins over Amir Khan, Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, and Errol Spence Jr, Crawford possesses something many fighters lack, and when you delve into his upbringing, you might just find it.
How Terence Crawford’s mother paying kids to ‘whoop’ him made him a champion
In an interview with ESPN in 2019, Crawford spoke about how his father told his mother that: “I was gonna be world champ.”
His mother said: “I told him he wouldn’t be s—-.” Crawford’s mother told ESPN that she told him he wouldn’t amount to anything because she “wanted him to be a man [and to not be] afraid of nobody”.
Crawford’s mother then told ESPN how she would pay local kids to beat up her son, but that nobody could:
“I said if y’all can whoop Bud I’ll give y’all ten dollars a piece. Couldn’t nobody whoop him.”
Crawford took these challenges in his stride, and told his mother: “Mama I told you I’m the best.”
All these years later, he continues to prove his mother right, and shows that as tough as her love may have been, it forged a champion.
What Terence Crawford learnt that made him KO Shawn Porter
In 2021 Crawford faced Shawn Porter, a 31-3-1 former world champion who had only lost before to Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman, and Kell Brook.
Footage shows Crawford’s corner between rounds, where he is told that Porter is up on the scorecards. A bewildered Crawford asks: “How?” before confirming, “He’s up?” as the bell sounds for the tenth.
Crawford would not have to wait for a judge’s decision and would become the first man to stop Shawn Porter, putting him down twice in round ten before Porter’s father threw in the towel and put an end to the fight.
Porter would never fight again.