By Chris Williams: Terence Crawford says he’s going to retire soon due to his advancing age and doesn’t want the sport to send him into retirement.
Sounding bitter & discontented, Terence says he feels he hasn’t been unappreciated by fans and thinks that only when he retires will he get the props he deserves.
Crawford is completely unaware of why boxing fans haven’t given him his props, and the reasons are apparent. How could he be so unaware?
If his promoters didn’t tell Crawford why he lacked fan appeal, they failed him. However, it’s likely that they did, but he’s been closed off and not listening to them, resistant to change.
Reasons why Crawford hasn’t been appreciated:
- Career-long pedestrian-level opposition
- Counter puncher – Lacking attack-oriented style
- Moving too much
- Charisma absent
- Defensive & irritable during interviews
Crawford has faced mainly sublevel opposition during his long 15-year professional career and has only had one fight where it was a 50-50 situation [Errol Spence]. Crawford isn’t appreciated because he’s failed to take risks, choosing to play it safe.
Aside from his one-step-up fight against the weight drained & car crashed wrecked Spence, who was just a shadow of what he once was back in 2016, Crawford has been fighting these soft opponents:
– Amir Khan
– Kell Brook
– David Avanesyan
– Shawn Porter – washed
– Egidijus Kavaliauskas
Crawford will retire soon
“I’m about to be 36, so I don’t see myself continuing to box very much longer. I’ve been doing it for a long time. I always said I’m going to retire from boxing before I let boxing retire me,” said Terence Crawford to TMZ Sports.
“I feel I haven’t been fully appreciated in my career for some time. Once I retire, I’ll get my props.
Terence is moving up to 154, and the only fight he wants is Jermell Charlo, which he probably won’t get because the little Charlo has moved up to 168 to dethrone Canelo Alvarez, and he probably won’t return to the 154lb division.
Wrong time to move to 154
Crawford moved up to 154 at the wrong time because Jermell has left the division and will probably not return because his paydays are extremely limited.
154 is a bleak, barren wasteland, filled with lackluster opposition as far as the eye can see and completely absent of stars. In other words, it’s the perfect spot for Crawford to continue to play it safe.
“I would definitely choose [Jermell] Charlo. It’s a meaningful fight with history,” said Crawford on who he would like to fight.
He’s not going to fight his friend Errol Spence and other than him; it’s just Crawford & Tim Tszyu. Jermell can make more money staying at 168, fighting Canelo twice, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, David Morrell Jr, and Demetrius Andrade.
If Crawford wants to fight Jermell, he’s going to have to come out of his comfort zone for once in his career, take a big risk, and move up to 168.
Knowing Crawford’s behavior, he’ll play it safe, and languish at 154, missing out on the big fights he could have if he were willing to chase greatness by moving up to 168 to try and cement a real legacy.
Terence not interested in Canelo fight
“Canelo is four weight classes above me because you don’t know what weight class he’s fighting at when he’s fighting,” said Crawford. “At the same time, Canelo doesn’t interest me because of his size factor.”
If Crawford wonders why he hasn’t been unappreciated by fans, it’s right there in front of his face if he’d only face the truth for once. He’s afraid to take risks and resistant to change.
“No, my career won’t be going that long,” Crawford said when asked if he wants to fight until he’s 50-0.
