Terence Crawford Retires, But Is He Really Retired?

• Terence Crawford has announced he is retiring from boxing at 38 years old.
• Crawford is 42-0, and the first male boxer to be the undisputed champion in three weight classes.
• Crawford says he is done, but boxers are always willing to come out of retirement for a big payday.

Terence Crawford has announced his retirement from boxing after a legendary career that saw him go undefeated, and become the first male undisputed champion in three weight classes.

However, Crawford could be enticed out of retirement if there was a large payday waiting for him in a match.

Crawford Has Legendary Career, Goes Out on Top

Crawford announced his retirement on his YouTube channel on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old Crawford retires with an unblemished 42-0 record, with 31 wins by knockout. He won the WBO lightweight title in his 23^rd fight. Since then, has gone on to put forth an unassailable record. Crawford won his first undisputed title at light welterweight (140 pounds) by knocking out Julius Indongo in August 2017. He then did it again at welterweight (147 pounds) in a legendary beating of Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023.

But the icing on the cake came in September 2025, when Crawford moved up to 168 pounds to defeat Canelo Álvarez with an incredible display of boxing. That made Crawford the undisputed champion at super middleweight. He is now the first male boxer to claim the undisputed championship in three weight classes.

Now, “Bud” states he is retiring. But will he stay retired?

What Are the Odds of Crawford Staying Retired?

There is a chance Crawford could return to the ring at some point. Boxing is filled with former athletes that say they are retired, but they end up coming back. For example, heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has retired at least four times, if not five. But his promoter, Frank Warren, said this week that he could return to fight Anthony Joshua for the right price.

“The right price” is what you should consider. Boxers love a massive payday, and if Crawford were to come out of retirement, it would take a considerable paycheck. We’re getting Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua odds for Friday night, but there were rumors Paul was looking to fight Crawford.

Paul is, somehow, now the biggest draw in boxing, and Crawford could look to cash in on what would be easy work for him. I think that would be Crawford’s best bet, although an Álvarez rematch would also make a lot of money for both sides.

Crawford seems to be set in retirement, but you can never count a prizefighter out! There is always a chance that he could be lured back to the ring, especially for a Jake Paul fight. But if this is the end, Crawford will go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time!