By: Sean Crose
“I’ve been a fighter since day one,” the recently retired Terence Crawford told Joe Rogan recently on Rogan’s enormously popular broadcast. Fresh off his win against fellow future Hall of Famer Canelo Alvarez last year, however, Crawford reasserted that he’s retired from boxing once and for all. “It’s over with it,” he told Rogan. “Since 2014 I’ve been fighting for something,” he added. “What’s the motivation (now)? Just money?” Indeed, Crawford feels he’s got nothing more to prove in the ring. He’ right. The man has won countless world title belts and is a three time undisputed champion.
Yet it was Crawford’s last battle, the one against the acclaimed and decorated Canelo last fall, that proved to be the crowning achievement for the native Nebraskan. “The height of it,” he said of his victory over Canelo, “there’s no better finish than that.” Jumping up around two weight divisions to fight the most famous fighter on earth and then to win decisively is literally an achievement for boxing’s history books. And while Canelo would understandably want a rematch and countless up and comers would love to get in the ring with him, Crawford has wisely decided to call it a career. The last thing Crawford wants is to be a broken over the hill fighter losing to men he could have handily beaten no so long ago. Such situations are more than just sad – they’re dangerous.
“It’s very critical for these fighters to think about their health first,” Crawford said of today’s active fighters. Brain damage, for instance, ruins lives – particularly the lives of some boxers. “Your mind is messed up?,” Crawford asked rhetorically. “It’s over with.” Coming back into the spotlight can be tempting for a boxer, especially one who is a former great. It’s a path Crawford simple doesn’t want to go down.
One notable thing about Crawford is the fact that he’s naturally built for retirement. This is simply not a man who needs to perpetually be in the spotlight. “That’s just a bill,” he says of having an entourage. It’s clear from the interview, Crawford prefers to be a family man. “He just won state as a champion,” he said of his son, whose a high school wrestler. Crawford also likes helping out kids he sees working out in the gym. There’s far worse ways to spend one’s retirement, even if one is a former all time great.
