Terence Crawford, who claimed the title of best pound-for-pound boxer with a convincing victory over Canelo Alvarez in September, announced his retirement on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old Crawford is the only male boxer to capture three unified division titles, which he accomplished with that unanimous decision over Alvarez before 70,482 fans at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
That gave Crawford the super middleweight championship and a 42-0 record with 31 knockouts. His final 20 bouts came with a belt on the line.
“Every fighter knows this moment would come,” Crawford said in a 5 1/2-minute video detailing his decision. “You just never know when.”
Crawford turned pro in 2008 and won titles in four weight classes — lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight — before moving up two more weight divisions for the bout against Alvarez.
Crawford took pride in representing Omaha, Nebraska, the city where he grew up and continued to live.
He probably could have continued to sign up for other fights, and the win over Alvarez showed Crawford still had plenty left in him.
But rather than accept another massive payday, Crawford decided to move on.
“This sport gave me everything," Crawford said. "I fought for my family. I fought for the city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves, and I did it all my way.
“I've made peace with what's next. It's time.”
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing
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