Terence Crawford denies rumours he could still fight again as he stays firm on retirement reason

Terence Crawford insists there is no-one left for him to face which ultimately led to his decision to retire.

Crawford called time on his stellar 42-fight unbeaten career, to the shock of fans who expected him to return in 2026.

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The American superstar beat Canelo Alvarez in the biggest fight of his time as a professional, stepping up to super-middleweight and dethroning the undisputed champion.

He had then teased a move to 160lbs, which would have seen him attempt to become a world champion in a sixth weight category.

‘Bud’ looked to be pursuing a clash with champion Janibek Alimkhanuly who was later pulled out of a unification clash with Erislandy Lara after failing a drugs test.

And shortly after, Crawford declared his time in the squared circle was over.

Although confirming his decision wasn’t based on the news, he has suggested there was simply nothing left to complete in the sport with an eye on preserving his legacy.

He explained when asked why he retired: “Because I’m just that nice.

“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’.

“Who else in today’s boxing that has a name would do anything to my legacy?

“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.”

Should Terence Crawford have retired from boxing?

Crawford has done what many in the sport haven’t retiring while at the peak of his powers and on top.

There is a risk that he could have fought on for too long and damaged his legacy, which now sees him brushing shoulders with the all-time greats.

Albeit many would have anticipated he could wipe out the rest of the middleweight elite to have made further history.

British heavyweight Anthony Joshua is one of those, who believes Crawford still has more to give.

“I feel like Terence Crawford has got so, so much more to give,” he said.

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“He’s been in the game for a long time, so maybe he’s like ‘forget it, I’m done mentally’, even though physically he’s good.”

“I would love to see him continue fighting. I think he’s got a lot left, but we have to live and let others live by their own rules.”