Crawford Names His Toughest Opponent

Terence Crawford reflected on his toughest fight, which may shock some fans.

Crawford recently sat down with influencer Adin Ross to discuss his legacy. When asked who gave him the most trouble in the ring, he bypassed Canelo Alvarez and Errol Spence Jr. Instead, he went back to 2014. Crawford named former two-time featherweight world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa as his toughest-ever opponent.

The two met in Omaha over a decade ago in what was Crawford’s first title defense at lightweight. Gamboa’s hand speed buzzed Crawford early, forcing him to switch to southpaw just to survive the early rounds. Though Crawford eventually secured a 9th-round TKO, it was one of the few times he looked truly vulnerable in his 42-0 career.

“I ain’t even gonna lie. I thought [the Canelo fight] was gonna be harder. But Gamboa? That was at 135. His speed and his power… I had to really dig deep to solve that puzzle,” Crawford said

Crawford’s Legacy

Elsewhere, Crawford says it was the right time to retire after his September win over Canelo Alvarez, citing his age and completion of his goals. The Canelo victory made Crawford the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion, as he become the first-male three-weight undisputed champion: 140, 147 and 168.

Bud retired undefeated with a 42-0 record, beating the likes of Errol Spence Jr. Amir Khan, Kell Brook, Shawn Porter and of course Canelo. While Bud hinted at the idea of moving down to 160 to become a six-weight champion, as well as reports linking him with a Canelo rematch, the boxer chose to go out on top. Looking back, he had no regrets.

“I’m 38. 38 is old in boxing. I been boxing since I was 7. I have nothing else to prove. I have nothing else to accomplish. What more can I do? They’re not gonna give me the credit anyway, so it really doesn’t even matter,” Crawford said