‘I Don’t Want To See Him Fight No More’ Champ Wants Crawford To Retire

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 15: Ring Journal Tremendous Middleweight Champion Terence Crawford walks the sector previous to the sport between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Pictures)

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Few individuals in boxing appear to know Terence Crawford in addition to WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson. The person who calls the brand new undisputed tremendous middleweight champion his large brother says he desires to see him retire following his historic victory over Canelo Alvarez on September 13 in Las Vegas.

“I don’t need to see him battle no extra,” Stevenson advised Ariel Helwani in an interview on September 16. “He made among the finest fighters of our era look common.”

Stevenson is on to one thing.

He’s proper within the idea that Crawford regarded stellar, leaving little question about his all-time greatness, however I’d disagree with him on one level. I don’t assume Canelo regarded common. I assumed he regarded nice, however that’s the factor.

Regardless of how good or nice he was, he had nothing for Crawford. That’s a good greater praise.

Stevenson by no means switched up. When I spoke to him earlier this year, Stevenson advised me Crawford would beat Canelo and make it look straightforward. He was proper.

Crawford will probably be 38 later this month, and at this level in his profession, he’ll and may have his choose of challenges to simply accept or pursue. UFC light-weight champion Ilia Topuria would like to proceed his pursuit to name performs out of Conor McGregor’s playbook—although he received’t admit it.

opuria, an outstanding boxer by MMA’s requirements, would love the possibility to show he has what it takes to knock off an all-time nice like Crawford. Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter what anybody on the MMA facet tells you, Topuria stands to realize extra from that battle than Crawford.

It’s the Jay-Z idea. The legendary rapper as soon as stated, “You shoot me, you’re well-known. I shoot you, I’m brainless.” The reference wasn’t about weapons. It’s about retaliating in opposition to an attacker who stands to realize by you giving them your consideration.

Crawford beats Topuria, he’ll get a bag as the 2 possible promote out a soccer stadium in Spain. That’s an apparent potential draw.

Nonetheless, if by some likelihood Topuria has a shred of success in opposition to him within the boxing ring, he turns into the one all-time nice to point out cracks in opposition to a combined martial artist in his personal sport.

Any degree of success Topuria has skyrockets his reputation, and he’ll get his personal bag for the battle. Crawford has been cautious and sensible to select fights in opposition to guys who’ve one thing on the road and stand to lose simply as a lot as him—if no more.

Whereas the Topuria bag must be tempting, it’s exhausting to argue with Stevenson’s take. What else does Crawford have to perform within the sport?

Until he’s planning to maneuver all the way down to middleweight to tackle Janibek Alimkhanuly for his WBO and IBF titles, Carlos Adames for his WBC title, or 42-year-old Erislandy Lara for his WBA belt, it’s exhausting to think about what standard battle would make a whole lot of sense for him.

Successful the middleweight title would make Crawford a six-division champion. Solely Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao have received titles in that many weight lessons.

Crawford has confirmed to be motivated by legacy over the rest. That’s a part of what makes him such a fan-friendly performer. Even nonetheless, in some unspecified time in the future, the fireplace must be quenched.

Crawford additionally looks like an athlete and a person who’s motivated by doubters. The actual fact of the matter is there’ll at all times be doubters. He’ll by no means shut them up utterly. He’ll by no means stamp out the final of the haters.

The truth is, the haters are those who need to see him stick round till somebody lastly beats him to allow them to acquire some satisfaction from seeing him lose. As a battle fan and a journalist who has lined the game for almost 20 years, it’s nice to see a fighter dominate and go away the game on their very own phrases.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Andre Ward did it. It might be nice to see Crawford do the identical. If he does, he’ll preserve the identical blueprint in place for Stevenson, who’s a scholar of the sport.

Crawford is his personal man and can make his personal choices, however little brother is on to one thing.