Roy Jones Jr reveals what would bring Terence Crawford out of retirement
The retirement of any high-profile fighter comes with an asterisk attached — and Terence Crawford’s is no different.
Crawford bowed out of the sport last month and did so on his own terms, retiring undefeated as a three-weight undisputed champion. His spotless record places him alongside the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Joe Calzaghe and Rocky Marciano — fighters who left boxing with no official blemish on their ledgers.
His final appearance came at Allegiant Stadium last September, where Crawford overcame the challenge of super-middleweight king Canelo Alvarez. Even at 38, he looked every bit as sharp and authoritative as he had at any point in his career, leading many to believe there was still more left in the tank. However, in recent interviews, Crawford has insisted there was nothing left for him to achieve.
History suggests retirements in boxing are rarely final until Father Time delivers the decisive blow. A tempting offer, particularly one too lucrative to refuse, has been enough to lure many legends back through the ropes.
Few know that reality better than Roy Jones Jr. The former multi-weight champion unretired on several occasions during his own storied career and recently told the Clubhouse Boxing podcast what he believes could bring Crawford back.
“It’s hard to say because with what Turki [Alalshikh] pays people nowadays, if Turki offer him the right money, I’m sure he’ll come back.”
“It’s opportunity. If you still good, nobody ever beat you and you feel you can beat most of the people out there and he going to give you an astronomical amount of money to do it. Why would you leave that on the table?”
For now, Crawford insists his legacy is complete. But in a sport where opportunity and temptation often collide, the door may not be quite as closed as it seems.
Terence Crawford rules out MMA move: ‘They don’t pay enough’
Terence Crawford is stepping away from the ring, but don’t expect him to step into a cage anytime soon.
The undefeated 38-year-old recently announced he was retiring from boxing, putting a cap on a legendary career that saw him go 42-0 and capture world titles across five different weight classes. Crawford’s final fight was a mega matchup with fellow superstar Canelo Alvarez in September, a bout Crawford won via a convincing 12-round unanimous decision.
Given he likely still has plenty left in the tank physically and his background in wrestling, fans have often wondered if Crawford would consider a move to MMA. But until MMA fighter pay goes up, Crawford is passing on that option.
“Nah,” Crawford said flatly, responding to a fan question on an Adin Ross Kick stream. “Nah, they don’t pay enough. … Man, you get messed up in wrestling, just in general. To do wrestling, kicking, boxing, and elbowing, man, you can have it.”
Crawford is widely regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of his era, with numerous high-profile championship victories, including a 2023 masterclass against Errol Spence Jr., who was considered Crawford’s most difficult matchup at the time. Ahead of Crawford’s fight with Canelo, UFC star Ilia Topuria boasted he could knock out Crawford, which drew an amused response from the boxer, who admitted he’d never even watched Topuria’s fights.
And as of now? He still hasn’t.
“Listen, this is crazy,” Crawford said of Topuria. “I’ve never seen this dude fight. Never, not once. I’m going to have to watch him on YouTube, I swear to God, I have never seen this dude fight.”
That said, Crawford is a professed MMA fan, and he can name at least two fighters he admires even if Topuria doesn’t make the cut.
“Jon Jones and Khabib [Nurmagomedov], hands down,” Crawford said. “They’re my guys.”
It isn’t clear when Alvarez will return due to the elbow surgery that he underwent shortly after losing his undisputed super middleweight belts.
While all of the talk in recent weeks has been about Crawford’s swan song, the face of boxing’s comeback will be a huge deal whenever it takes place.
Canelo Alvarez vs Osleys Iglesias inquired about for vacant IBF belt
Canelo Alvarez was removed from the Ring’s top 10 pound-for-pound rankings for the first time since 2018 following his loss to Terence Crawford in September.
The manner of the defeat was so shockingly one-sided that it’s likely going to take the Mexican superstar some time to build back his momentum.
One name that was already being suggested as the fighter who could face the winner of Canelo vs Crawford was Osleys Iglesias.
The undefeated Cuban stopped Vladimir Shishkin in September to emerge as the next contender for the IBF super middleweight belt that Crawford has now vacated.
Multiple sources have reported that the IBF has now ordered Iglesias vs Alvarez for the vacant belt, due to both men being their top ranked contenders in this division.
However, Dan Rafael has disputed this, stating that while the IBF did show interest in the matchup, it hasn’t been officially ordered at this time.
Contrary to some reporting out there the IBF did not order Osleys Iglesias vs Canelo, the two top contenders in their 168 rankings, to fight for the vacant title yesterday. What the IBF did do was inquire about their availability to participate in the vacant title bout. #boxing
Terence Crawford retired due to fights against the likes of Osleys Iglesias
In a recent appearance on Adin Ross’ stream, Terence Crawford spoke about his decision to retire.
He revealed that one of the key factors was that he didn’t feel like there were any fights out there for him that would be against big names who could add to his legacy.
Osleys Iglesias, who could’ve been made his mandatory challenger, is a good example of this.
The 28-year-old could go on to become a star but at just 14-0 in his pro career, beating him won’t do much for either Crawford or Canelo Alvarez.
However, it’s rising and hungry competitors like Iglesias who are going to be hunting down someone like Alvarez so they can announce themselves on the global stage.
Terence Crawford reveals the real reason he retired after being stripped of his undisputed status
Terence Crawford has walked away from boxing as one of the few fighters to retire undefeated.
Crawford made his decision official several weeks ago after competing for the final time at Allegiant Stadium in September.
The 38-year-old leaves behind a legacy that will be debated, with other legends boasting careers that saw them face more big names even if they didn’t have as much success.
Crawford may have been stripped of his undisputed super middleweight status, but one thing he will always have is that he was the first three-time undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
‘Bud’ recently spoke about why he made the decision to retire when asked whether it was because of his belts being taken away from him.
Terence Crawford highlights his legacy when explaining why he retired earlier this month
Terence Crawford won Bloody Elbow’s Boxer of the Year award despite only competing once in 2025.
He undoubtedly put on the most impressive performance of the year to beat Canelo Alvarez in September, which now serves as a spectacular way to end his career.
During a recent appearance on Adin Ross’ stream, ‘Bud’ was asked whether it was his undisputed status being taken away that caused him to say enough is enough.
“No, not at all, that’d be stupid of me,” Crawford responded. “I’m 38. 38 is old in boxing. I’ve been boxing since I was seven. I have nothing else to prove. I have nothing else to accomplish. It’s like, what more can I do? They’re not gonna give me the credit anyway so it really doesn’t even matter.”
Crawford’s retirement was mocked by Oscar De La Hoya, who claimed that the American has only ever beaten “two good fighters”.
It’s comments like these that the Omaha native referenced when speaking about why he’s done with boxing and why he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
“Because I’m just that nice,” he said. “Not to be cocky or anything it’s just when you’re so much better than the competition and you make them look how they’ve never looked before, everybody says, ‘Oh, they’re washed or this guy’s a bum’.”
Crawford went on to add that on top of not getting the praise he believes that he deserves, there are no fights left for him that would change this.
“Who else in today’s boxing that has a name would do anything to my legacy?
Terence Crawford explained his retirement and said there’s no one left for him to fight 👀 pic.twitter.com/vBb423wdOa
Terence Crawford reminded fans of his legacy shortly before his retirement
It may not have been the reason that he retired but Terence Crawford still fired back at the WBC after he was stripped of his title at the start of December.
His response was to release a new piece of merchandise, with his announcement and the design reminding everyone that his accomplishments can’t be taken away.
“Let’s be real: a belt is just a trophy,” Crawford wrote on X. “It don’t make me, it don’t define my legacy, and it damn sure don’t change what happened in that ring. History already happened. The record is set in stone. This shirt is a reminder: I am the belt. The fighters make the belt. I don’t need it on my shelf to prove who I am.”
Let’s be real: a belt is just a trophy. It don’t make me, it don’t define my legacy, and it damn sure don’t change what happened in that ring. History already happened. The record is set in stone.
This shirt is a reminder: I am the belt. The fighters make the belt.
Crawford may not have faced all of the top names of his era but he did something no one else has and he did it his way while maintaining a perfect record.
That victory saw Crawford become the first male fighter to ever earn undisputed status in three separate divisions, having already achieved it at super-lightweight and welterweight after claiming wins over the likes of Errol Spence, Shawn Porter and Viktor Postol.
While many fans may view Canelo as Crawford’s toughest ever opponent, ‘Bud’ has disagreed, after revealing an unlikely choice as his hardest rival.
‘Bud’ met Gamboa at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska back in June 2014, claiming a ninth round stoppage win to retain his WBO lightweight title.
Gamboa held world honours at featherweight during his professional career after defeating fighters such as Orlando Salido and Jonathan Barros, whilst he also won a gold medal as an amateur competing at flyweight at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
He last fight in April 2022 when he suffered a fifth round stoppage defeat to Isaac Cruz, with that his third straight loss after coming up short against Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis, meaning he has won 30 of his 35 professional contests.
Terence Crawford barely had time to enjoy his retirement before finding himself in an unexpected legal battle.
Less than a week after hanging up his gloves, the 38-year-old boxing legend now faces a lawsuit from a prominent New York jeweler who claims the fighter broke a financial agreement and cost his business millions in lost promotional opportunities.
The lawsuit, filed on December 18 and obtained by TMZ Sports, paints a picture of a business deal gone wrong. Mazza New York alleges that Crawford entered into an arrangement that seemed beneficial for both parties but ultimately left the jeweler feeling deceived and financially damaged.
The dispute traces back to February 2024 when Crawford visited Mazza New York to purchase several custom pendants for himself and his team. During that visit, according to the lawsuit, the boxer’s attention turned to a luxury Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch with a price tag of $139,000.
Rather than purchasing the timepiece outright, Crawford allegedly proposed an alternative payment arrangement. The jeweler claims the boxer offered to pay $35,000 upfront, with the remaining balance covered through promotional value. Specifically, Crawford would display the Mazza New York logo on his fight trunks during his upcoming bouts, providing exposure worth the remaining $104,000.
Mazza accepted the proposal, trusting that the promotional exposure from one of boxing’s biggest stars would deliver significant value to his business. The arrangement seemed straightforward, with both parties understanding their obligations.
First fight brings disappointment
The agreement faced its first test during Crawford’s August 2024 bout against Israil Madrimov. This fight represented a significant opportunity for Mazza, as Crawford’s matches draw massive viewership and media attention. However, according to the lawsuit, things didn’t go as planned.
Mazza claims that by the fourth round of the fight, the logo had completely fallen off Crawford’s trunks. Whether due to poor adhesion, fight activity or other factors, the promotional display that formed the basis of their agreement disappeared early in the bout, drastically reducing the exposure Mazza expected to receive.
The jeweler says Crawford and his representatives acknowledged the failure to fulfill the agreement after the Madrimov fight. According to Mazza, they promised to make things right by ensuring proper logo placement during Crawford’s next scheduled bout.
Canelo fight becomes breaking point
Crawford’s next major fight was set against boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez on September 13, representing an even bigger promotional opportunity than the Madrimov bout. The mega-fight promised massive pay-per-view numbers and global media coverage, potentially providing Mazza with exposure worth far more than the original agreement.
Understanding the stakes, Mazza says he personally delivered a patch featuring his logo to Crawford’s representative before the September fight. This direct delivery was meant to ensure there would be no repeat of the Madrimov situation, with the jeweler taking extra precautions to guarantee proper display.
However, Mazza claims he received devastating news shortly before fight night. According to the lawsuit, he was informed that the logo would not appear on Crawford’s shorts during the Alvarez fight. The jeweler says he received no reason or explanation for this sudden and unexpected change.
Business impact and financial claims
The alleged breach of agreement extends beyond simple disappointment for Mazza. The jeweler claims his business suffered tangible financial harm by missing out on promotional opportunities during two high-profile fights. According to the lawsuit, the exposure he was promised but never received had an estimated value of $1.5 million.
This calculation presumably factors in the viewership numbers, media coverage and potential customer traffic that prominent display during Crawford fights would have generated. For a luxury jeweler catering to high-end clientele and celebrity customers, association with a boxing champion at the peak of his career represents invaluable marketing.
Mazza argues that Crawford’s failure to honor the promotional agreement deprived his business of opportunities to elevate the brand among exactly the type of customers who purchase expensive custom jewelry and luxury watches.
Legal remedies sought
The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $1.5 million in damages, representing what Mazza calculates as the lost promotional value. However, the jeweler also requests additional damages beyond this baseline amount, suggesting the total claim could exceed the $1.5 million figure.
The timing of the lawsuit, coming just days after Crawford announced his retirement, adds an interesting dimension to the case. With the boxer no longer active, Mazza has no future opportunities to receive the promotional consideration he claims was promised.
Unanswered questions remain
The lawsuit leaves several questions unresolved. Crawford has not publicly responded to the allegations, and details about his perspective on the arrangement remain unknown. Whether the logo falling off during the Madrimov fight resulted from intentional removal, poor craftsmanship or legitimate wear during competition hasn’t been clarified.
Additionally, the reasons behind the decision not to display the logo during the Canelo fight remain mysterious. The lawsuit emphasizes that Mazza received no explanation for this change, suggesting communication between the parties broke down at a critical moment.
As the legal battle unfolds, both Crawford’s legacy and Mazza’s business reputation hang in the balance over a deal that started with a luxury watch and ended in a courtroom dispute worth millions.
Terence Crawford hit with lawsuit over alleged breach of jewelry promotion agreement
Terence Crawford hasn’t been retired for a full week, but he’s already got another fight on his hands — albeit a legal one — ’cause the legendary boxer has been sued by a prominent jeweler who claims Bud lied to him and screwed him over.
In the lawsuit, filed on December 18 and obtained by TMZ Sports, 38-year-old Crawford is accused of hitting up Mazza New York in February 2024 for several custom pendants for him and his team (we previously reported when Bud copped ’em).
According to Mazza, Crawford became interested in a $139k Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch while in the store, but rather than buying it flat out, Mazza claims Bud suggested he pay $35k, and then would cover the rest by promoting the jewelry store on his trunks during a fight.
Mazza says he agreed, however, when Crawford’s August 2024 fight against Israil Madrimov rolled around, the jeweler claims the logo “had completely fallen off” by the 4th round.
Mazza claims that Crawford and his representatives acknowledged that they did not fulfill the agreement and promised to make it up in the next fight, which was against Canelo Alvarez.
The jeweler says he delivered a patch with his logo to Bud’s rep before the September 13 mega-fight, but says he was ultimately told the “logo would not appear on Crawford’s shorts during the Alvarez fight.”
Mazza says he wasn’t given “any reason or explanation for this sudden and unexpected change” regarding the patch on Terence’s shorts.
By allegedly blowing off the agreement, Mazza says his business was deprived of an opportunity to elevate his brand, claiming he missed out on an estimated $1.5 million worth of promotion.
And, that’s exactly what Mazza is looking for, at a minimum, in addition to other damages.
The harsh truth behind Terence Crawford’s career stopped mattering – here’s why
Terence Crawford has retired from boxing with a perfect record and a secure legacy, in a business where very few get to walk away with both of those things.
Crawford is now 38, he is unbeaten in 42 fights, and during his 18 years in the ring he won versions of world titles at five different weights; he managed to become the undisputed champion – the holder of all four recognised belts – at three weights.
Crawford’s boxing career ended in front of over 70,000 people when he beat Canelo Alvarez just three months ago, but it had started in obscurity over four rounds in hotel lounges. He was just another dreamer, a kid from Omaha with wild ambition, but no gimmick.
Finally, in 2013, he had a break; he was 19-0 at the time, but had only been in four-, six- and eight-round fights in boxing’s lost and forgotten outposts. He was matched with the devastating puncher, Breidis Prescott, in Las Vegas. Crawford accepted the fight at short notice and won all 10 rounds, and his long and hard road to recognition was over. The unknown kid from Omaha had arrived.
Just two fights and one year later, Crawford travelled to Scotland to beat Ricky Burns and win the WBO lightweight title. Crawford was the underdog in that fight; it went the full 12 rounds, and it was the start of a truly extraordinary sequence of 20 consecutive world-title fights. Crawford has maintained Burns was “the greatest fight of my career”.
Crawford started his world-championship reign at lightweight and finished against Alvarez at super-middleweight. He eased through the divisions, becoming undisputed champion at super-lightweight, welterweight and super-middleweight. Last summer he won the interim WBO super-lightweight title.
It means he dominated for 12 years, across the weight chasm of 135lb to 168lb.
Crawford also stopped or knocked out 15 of the 20 men he beat in world-title fights. He was known as a boxer, but those numbers make him a banger.
The harsh truth is that it took Crawford a long, long time to become a high-profile champion. He was in good fights, often against good fighters, but at that time he lacked the respect he believed he was owed. It took a considerable amount of time and fights to get the respect he deserved.
Crawford blamed promoters, and the promoters blamed Crawford. “It’s their job to promote me,” he said during his ugly split with Bob Arum. He was, it must be said, reluctant at times to embrace the glitzy side of the business. “I lost money on his fights,” Arum countered.
Crawford had seven fights at super-lightweight, which is also known as light-welterweight, and in 2017 he became an undisputed champion for the first time. However, stoppage wins against men like Thomas Dulorme, Dierry Jean, Hank Lundy and Julius Indongo hardly raised his profile outside the business. Still, his standing inside the game was high and his qualities were appreciated.
The move to welterweight in 2018 changed the judgement and shifted the spotlight considerably in his direction. The stoppage win over Amir Khan in six easy rounds at Madison Square Garden in 2019 was the type of win that he needed – it was a win against a high-profile fighter, a man with status, a man with a name.
There was then a trio of stoppage wins against former champions and a leading contender; the three fights were, due to Covid, spread over three years and they changed the way everybody in the business looked at Crawford. He stopped Kell Brook in four, Shawn Porter in 10 and David Avanesyan in six rounds.
It also helped that Crawford at welterweight had a fancied and dangerous natural rival in Errol Spence Jr, who held the three other belts at the weight.
Spence Jr was unbeaten in 28 fights but was troubled away from the ring, and when they met in 2023 it was a ‘50-50 fight’ in billing. But, as it turned out, not in the ring on the night, it was a mismatch. Crawford won in round nine of a shutout and Spence Jr was dropped three times. Spence Jr has not fought since, and Crawford has only boxed once each year in the last six years.
The simple method of preservation has helped him; the careful selection of fights in his early championship reign also helped Crawford grow old effortlessly. He is a fresh 38, not a man battling to recapture the speed and timing of his youth.
Last summer, Crawford had a hard 12-round win over Israil Madrimov for the WBO interim super-light title; it looked like he had reached the ceiling of his weight gain. On the night against Madrimov, he was 19lb heavier than he had been a decade earlier against Burns in his first world-title fight. It felt like Crawford’s power and skill had diminished with the weight gain, and that he would not go any higher.
Everybody was wrong – Crawford had a grand plan, a goodbye fight to defy sensible thinking.
He hibernated for about 10 months, agreed terms for the Alvarez fight, gained around 12lb in muscle across his back and shoulders, and put on a masterclass in front of over 70,000 to become the undisputed champion at a third weight.
His retirement was a shock, but it makes sense. He is one of the best modern fighters. He is, perhaps, the last of the great fighters to rule at his various weights with such majesty, after an obscure start in the business.
Terence Crawford Makes Shock Decision On Boxing Future: “Nothing Left To Prove”
Terence Crawford has surprised the boxing world with a major update on his career.
Crawford is already regarded as one of the best boxers of recent times, further cementing his legacy when he stepped up two divisions and defeated Canelo Alvarez in September to become the undisputed super-middleweight world champion.
It saw ‘Bud’ become the first male fighter in history to be undisputed in three separate divisions, whilst he has also earned world honours at 135lbs and 154lbs.
The likely next move for Crawford appeared to be a move to middleweight in a bid to become a six-division world champion, but that will no longer be happening after he made a shock and abrupt announcement.
“Every fighter knows this moment will come. We just never know when. I spent my whole life chasing something. Not belts, not money, not headlines, but that feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong.
“This sport gave me everything, I fought for my family, I fought for my city, I fought for the kid I used to be, the one that had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves, and I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breath I have, every spar, every triumph, every ounce of my heart. I’ve made peace with what’s next. Now, it’s time. Thank you.
“I’m stepping away from competition. Not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different kind of battle. The one where you walk away on your own terms. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just the end of one fight, and the beginning of another.”
Crawford remarkable career began way back in 2008, and the 38-year-old now hangs up the gloves with a perfect record of 42-0.
Canelo Alvarez will take a year-long break from the ring, leaving the May 2 date open for David Benavidez and Gilberto Ramírez.
The four-division champion’s focus is squarely on a potential rematch with Terence Crawford later in the year.
Reynoso Confirms Year-Long Break
Trainer Eddy Reynoso told TV Azteca, “No, in May there will be no fight. In May, we are going to rest, and we are going to resume in September.”
The veteran trainer added that Canelo recently underwent a successful operation on his left elbow and has been working on his recovery while fulfilling promotional commitments.
“That’s what he wants, the rematch with Crawford. Let’s see if it can be in September, and that’s the goal—to seek revenge and get rid of the thorn,” Reynoso said.
Benavidez vs Ramírez Now Takes Center Stage
With Canelo stepping aside, the previously announced May 2 date is now free for Benavidez and Ramírez to headline, giving both fighters time to prepare for a critical super middleweight showdown.
Canelo’s early announcement effectively cleared the calendar for the rival clash, allowing Benavidez and Ramírez to focus entirely on their bout.
Crawford Rematch and Titles in Question
When Canelo finally faces Terence Crawford, the bout may be Ring Magazine title only, depending on whether Crawford takes an interim fight at super middleweight beforehand.
Crawford has already been stripped of the WBC title and could have no other belts by September if mandatory obligations are ignored, adding uncertainty to the stakes.
His recent activity suggests he fights only once per year and is tipped to compete at middleweight, making the timing of a September clash a key factor in Canelo’s long-term plans.
Canelo’s Strategic Pause
Alvarez’s year-long hiatus is about more than rest; it gives him time to prepare for one of the most skilled fighters of his generation.
By spacing out his schedule, focusing on rehabilitation, and allowing Crawford’s path to develop, Canelo ensures that when the rematch occurs, he will be at his physical and tactical peak.
Looking Ahead
For now, Canelo’s pause reshapes the landscape. Benavidez vs. Ramírez now has full focus on May 2.
Fans and analysts wait to see how Crawford’s activity—and potential lack of titles—will impact the high-stakes rematch later in the year. We will continue to track developments as both bouts take shape.
