Terence Crawford looks back on his career with confidence and sees himself on a par with the icons of the 80s.
Terence Crawford has lost none of his self-confidence even after the end of his career. The former world champion in five weight classes sees himself on a par with the biggest names in boxing history – and mentions the legendary “Four Kings” around Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.
Crawford is convinced that he has everything he needs stylistically to hold his own in this era. His reasoning: he combines several qualities in himself – agility, technique, stroke variations and tactical adaptability. It was precisely this versatility that had distinguished him during his career. In fact, the US-American delivered impressive arguments until his retirement. Most recently, he set an exclamation mark with a victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, when he moved up two weight classes and still dominated.
Despite all his successes, Crawford drew the line at the age of 38. The right moment had come for him after he had achieved everything in sport. At the same time, he admitted that there were also emotional aspects to saying goodbye – after all, sport had been with him his whole life. With his legacy, Crawford is already one of the defining figures of his generation. Whether he could actually measure up to the “Four Kings” remains speculation – but the debate has long since begun.
Text by Robin Josten