The punching parallels of Terence Crawford and his favourite fighter
‘Bud’ recently retired at age 38, while the man he claims was once “unbeatable” trod a different path
Terence Crawford has officially retired from boxing. Until, of course, a better offer comes along. Then, he’ll most likely be lured back into the ring, like 99 per cent of his contemporaries.
In years to come, Crawford’s legacy might be remembered like that of Joe Calzaghe, who also retired undefeated and may have been slightly underappreciated during his career.
Before the final act, in which he beat the likes of Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins (a win that aged very well) and Roy Jones Jr., Calzaghe had put together a long winning run. There were plenty of title defences and achievements, but no sparkling names. Until the final chapter, where the Welshman added a glittery topping to his record.
Once Crawford added Errol Spence and Canelo to his own resume, it created a couple of much-needed cherries on top of a sweet yet not entirely filling cake. Some on social media regularly debate the “big wins” and the strength in depth of his overall record.
Undeterred, Terence is enjoying retirement and busily reviewing the credentials of other stars, past and present. Crawford was last seen delivering yet another stellar display by capturing all the belts at super-middleweight by defeating Canelo over 12 rounds.
Sticking with that same 168-pound division, Terence was recently asked who his favourite fighter of all time is. He named a man all too familiar with dominating the super-middleweights and the light-heavyweights, for that matter: Roy Jones Jr.
“He was unbeatable in his prime. He’s my boxing hero. He will always be my favourite of all time,” said Crawford, who will likely remain undefeated himself.
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Unlike poor old Roy, who ended his own lengthy spell in the ring getting knocked out by fighters who wouldn’t have been fit to polish his boots during a punch-perfect prime.
If you’re not a fan of the Calzaghe comparison, how about comparing Crawford’s approach to the sweet science with Roy instead? Not so much what they achieved, but the decision-making process that led to where they ended up.
While Crawford has seemingly got out while the going is great, Jones just couldn’t let things go as easily. Following a decade of dominance, Jones Jr. moved up to heavyweight to seek the ultimate challenge.
Defeating John Ruiz in Las Vegas, using a beautiful blend of boxing skills, fast hands and feet, Jones shelved his plans to mix further with the big boys and shaved off too much weight too quickly, defeating Antonio Tarver later in 2003, while finally looking close to human.
The rematch KO loss to Tarver was followed swiftly by a second, to Glen Johnson, a capable fighter who should never have been troubling Roy. The Florida technician tried to rekindle the old magic for an additional 19 years!
Losses to the likes of Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins look excusable on the record at least. A one-round blitz at the fists of Danny Green, not so much. During the final stages of his elongated career, Jones travelled to Latvia to defeat Courtney Fry. He returned home (Pensacola) in 2018 to win the WBU (German version) title.
When Enzo Maccarinelli brutally knocked Jones out in Russia, the Welsh puncher looked like he’d just punched someone in a wheelchair, such was the sheepish realisation that he had hammered another nail into the career coffin of a legend.
Does Roy’s refusal to quit while even slightly behind impact his overall legacy? That debate continues to this day, a bit like his career, which was still active (according to BoxRec) as recently as 2023.
Terence Crawford’s achievements will suffer no such inspection. Once the Omaha man truly decides to pack it in, you’d expect him to stick to that decision.
Image Credits: ESPN and PBC.
About Steve…
Current existence: Boxing writer, eLearning educator.
Previous lives: Online editor at Boxing News Magazine. Author (8 books), podcaster (500+ eps), scriptwriter for Motivedia channel, newspaper journalist, copywriter & educator.
Contact: stevenwellings1982@gmail.com
Really sharp take on the Crawford-Roy comparison. The decision to walk away versus chase one more payday defintely shapes how history remembers fighters. I saw some of Roy's later fights live, and it was tough watching someone move like theywere underwater when they used to float. The real test for Crawford will be sticking to this retirement when promoters start waving eight-figure checks around.
I liked the comparisons of both Calzaghe and Jones Jr. Total opposites for sure. I personally think we will not see Crawford fight again. He marches to the beat of his own drum and like Calzaghe, he knows enough to retire on top. Good job Steve!