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Terence Crawford
Terence Crawford during a podcast in 2023.png
Crawford in 2023
Statistics
Real name Terence Allan Crawford
Nickname(s) Bud
Rated at
  • Lightweight
  • Light welterweight
  • Welterweight
  • Light middleweight
Height 5 ft 8 in
Reach 74 in
Born (1987-09-28) September 28, 1987 (age 37)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Stance Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights 41
Wins 41
Wins by KO 31
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Golden Gloves
Silver 2006 Omaha Lightweight
U.S. National Championships
Bronze 2006 Colorado Springs Lightweight
Bronze 2007 Colorado Springs Lightweight

Terence Allan Crawford (born September 28, 1987) is an American professional boxer. He has won many world championships in four different weight classes, from lightweight to light middleweight. He is famous for being the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes during the "four-belt era." This means he held all four major world titles at the same time in two different divisions. Since 2024, he has held the World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight and World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim light middleweight titles.

In 2014, Crawford won his first world title, the WBO lightweight title, by defeating Ricky Burns. He then moved up to light welterweight in 2015 and won another title, becoming a two-division champion. By 2017, he was the undisputed light welterweight champion, holding all four major world titles. In 2023, he beat Errol Spence Jr. to become the undisputed welterweight champion. Crawford is one of only three male boxers in history to achieve undisputed status in two weight classes in the four-belt era.

Crawford was named "Fighter of the Year" by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) in 2014. ESPN also gave him this award in 2014 and 2017. As of January 2025, many experts consider him one of the best boxers in the world, pound for pound.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Terence Crawford was born and grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. He faced many challenges as a young person. He found a positive path in boxing at the C.W. Boxing Club in North Omaha. His grandfather, father, and uncle had all trained there.

When he was seven, the gym owner, Carl Washington, invited him to try boxing. Crawford started going to the gym often. A great boxing coach named Midge Minor became like a second father to him. Minor would pick Crawford up from school to keep him focused on boxing. In 2001, he met trainers Brian “Bomac” McIntyre and Esaú Diéguez, who still train him today.

Amateur Boxing Career

Crawford began boxing at age seven. He competed in 70 amateur fights, winning most of them. As an amateur, he even defeated future world champions like Mikey Garcia. Before the 2008 Olympics, he was the top-ranked lightweight in the U.S. However, he lost to Sadam Ali, which ended his Olympic dream.

Amateur Highlights

  • 2006 National PAL Championships, 132 lbs – gold medalist
  • 2006 Blue & Gold National Championships, 132 lbs – gold medalist
  • 2007 U.S. Pan American Games Box-Offs, 132 lbs – gold medalist

Professional Boxing Journey

Starting as a Pro

Crawford started his professional boxing career on March 14, 2008. He won his first fight by knockout in the first round. He built an impressive record of 19 wins with no losses, with 15 of those wins coming by knockout.

His first big fight was against Breidis Prescott in March 2013. Crawford took the fight on short notice and won by a unanimous decision. This was his first 10-round fight. In June 2013, he fought Alejandro Sanabria. Crawford won by technical knockout in the sixth round, earning a title eliminator win. Later that year, in October, he defeated Andrey Klimov by a clear unanimous decision, setting himself up for a world title shot.

Becoming a Lightweight Champion

On March 1, 2014, Crawford traveled to Scotland to fight Ricky Burns for the WBO lightweight title. Crawford won the fight by unanimous decision, becoming a world champion for the first time.

First Title Defenses

Crawford defended his title for the first time in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, against Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gamboa was a strong opponent, but Crawford adjusted his style during the fight. He knocked Gamboa down multiple times and won by technical knockout in the ninth round. Crawford later said this was his toughest fight at the time.

In November 2014, Crawford defended his WBO title against Ray Beltrán. He won by a unanimous decision. After this fight, Crawford announced he would move up to the light welterweight division. For his achievements in 2014, ESPN and the Boxing Writers Association of America named him "Fighter of the Year."

Dominating the Light Welterweight Division

In April 2015, Crawford moved up to light welterweight and fought Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO title. He won by technical knockout in the sixth round, earning his second world title in a different weight class.

Defending His New Title

Crawford defended his light welterweight title against Dierry Jean in October 2015. He won by knockout in the tenth round. In February 2016, he faced Hank Lundy at Madison Square Garden. Crawford won by technical knockout in the fifth round.

Unifying Titles

On July 23, 2016, Crawford fought Viktor Postol in a big unification fight. Both boxers were undefeated. Crawford won by unanimous decision, unifying the WBO and WBC light welterweight titles. He also won The Ring magazine and lineal titles, showing he was the best in the division.

In December 2016, Crawford defended his unified titles against John Molina Jr. He stopped Molina in the eighth round. In May 2017, he successfully defended his titles again against Félix Díaz. Díaz's trainer stopped the fight after the tenth round because of the punishment his fighter was taking.

Becoming Undisputed Light Welterweight Champion

On August 19, 2017, Crawford faced Julius Indongo in a historic fight. Indongo held the WBA and IBF light welterweight titles. Crawford won by knockout in the third round, becoming the undisputed light welterweight champion. This meant he held all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) at the same time. He was the first boxer to do this in the light welterweight division since 2004. Shortly after, Crawford gave up his IBF title as he planned to move up to the welterweight division.

Conquering the Welterweight Division

In October 2017, Crawford officially moved up to the welterweight division. The WBO named him the mandatory challenger for their welterweight title.

Winning the Welterweight Title

On June 9, 2018, Crawford challenged Jeff Horn for the WBO welterweight title. Horn had previously defeated Manny Pacquiao. Crawford dominated the fight and stopped Horn by technical knockout in the ninth round. This made Crawford a three-weight world champion. He earned his highest career purse of $3 million for this fight.

Defending His Welterweight Title

Crawford's first defense of his WBO welterweight title was against José Benavidez in October 2018. Crawford won by knockout in the twelfth round in front of his largest crowd yet in Omaha. He landed a powerful combination that dropped Benavidez.

In April 2019, Crawford fought Amir Khan. Crawford won by technical knockout in the sixth round after Khan's trainer stopped the fight due to an accidental low blow. In December 2019, he faced Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Crawford won by stoppage in the ninth round after knocking Kavaliauskas down multiple times.

On November 14, 2020, Crawford defended his title against Kell Brook. Crawford won by technical knockout in the fourth round.

Another Undisputed Championship

On November 20, 2021, Crawford defended his welterweight title against Shawn Porter. In a tough fight, Crawford scored two knockdowns in the tenth round. Porter's corner then threw in the towel, giving Crawford a technical knockout victory. After this fight, Crawford announced he was leaving his promoter, Top Rank.

In December 2022, Crawford made his sixth defense against David Avanesyan. He won by knockout in the sixth round.

Historic Undisputed Welterweight Champion

On July 29, 2023, Crawford fought Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship. This was a highly anticipated fight between two undefeated champions. Crawford dominated the fight, winning by technical knockout in the ninth round. He became the first undisputed welterweight champion since 2006. More impressively, he became the first male boxer in the "four-belt era" to achieve undisputed status in two different weight divisions. This fight generated over $59 million in revenue.

After the fight, Crawford was ordered to face Jaron Ennis for the IBF title. However, because Spence activated his rematch clause, the IBF stripped Crawford of his title in November 2023, making Ennis the full champion.

Moving to Light Middleweight

On August 3, 2024, Crawford moved up to a new weight class to challenge Israil Madrimov for his WBA super welterweight (light middleweight) title. Crawford won the fight by unanimous decision after 12 rounds, making him a four-division world champion. This was his first fight in eight years that went the full distance.

Future Fights

In August 2024, the WBO ordered a fight between Crawford and Sebastian Fundora for the junior middleweight title. In January 2025, there were reports that a fight between Crawford and Canelo Álvarez had been agreed upon for September 2025.

Fighting Style and Strengths

Terence Crawford is known for his amazing ability to switch between fighting stances. He can fight as an orthodox (right-handed lead) boxer or a southpaw (left-handed lead) boxer. This makes it very hard for his opponents to predict his moves and plan their attacks. He has power in both hands, which is rare and makes him even more dangerous.

His defense is also top-notch. He uses quick head movements, slips, and weaves to avoid punches. He can also use the "Philly shell" defense, where he blocks punches with his lead shoulder or forearm. This helps him stay safe while setting up his own powerful counter-punches.

Perhaps his biggest strength is his "killer instinct." When he sees an opening or senses his opponent is hurt, he attacks with incredible speed and precision. He doesn't hesitate, often delivering a final, decisive blow that ends the fight. This exciting style has made him a fan favorite around the world.

Personal Life and Community Work

Terence Crawford is the only son of Debbie and Terence Sr. He has two sisters, Latisha and Shawntay. He has been with Alindra Person since the early 2000s, and they have six children together. They still live in Omaha, Nebraska.

In October 2013, Crawford helped open the B&B Boxing Academy. This is a non-profit gym that helps young people, especially those at risk, by teaching them boxing and building their character. In 2014, he also traveled to Rwanda and Uganda for charity work.

Crawford has been featured on the cover of The Ring magazine multiple times. He also partnered with Prime Hydration, a popular drink company. In August 2018, the street where he grew up in Omaha was renamed Terence "Bud" Crawford Street in his honor. After he became the undisputed welterweight champion in 2023, the city of Omaha held a parade to celebrate him.

Professional Boxing Record

Professional record summary
41 fights 41 wins 0 losses
By knockout 31 0
By decision 10 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
41 Win 41–0 Israil Madrimov UD 12 Aug 3, 2024 BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Won WBA and vacant WBO interim light middleweight titles
40 Win 40–0 Errol Spence Jr. TKO 9 (12), 2:32 Jul 29, 2023 T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title;
Won WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and vacant The Ring welterweight titles
39 Win 39–0 David Avanesyan KO 6 (12), 2:14 Dec 10, 2022 CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title
38 Win 38–0 Shawn Porter TKO 10 (12), 1:21 Nov 20, 2021 Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title
37 Win 37–0 Kell Brook TKO 4 (12), 1:14 Nov 14, 2020 MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title
36 Win 36–0 Egidijus Kavaliauskas TKO 9 (12), 0:44 Dec 14, 2019 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title
35 Win 35–0 Amir Khan TKO 6 (12), 0:47 Apr 20, 2019 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title
34 Win 34–0 José Benavidez Jr. TKO 12 (12), 2:42 Oct 13, 2018 CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBO welterweight title
33 Win 33–0 Jeff Horn TKO 9 (12), 2:33 Jun 9, 2018 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Won WBO welterweight title
32 Win 32–0 Julius Indongo KO 3 (12), 1:38 Aug 19, 2017 Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBC, WBO, and The Ring light welterweight titles;
Won WBA (Super) and IBF light welterweight titles
31 Win 31–0 Félix Díaz RTD 10 (12), 3:00 May 20, 2017 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBC, WBO, and The Ring light welterweight titles
30 Win 30–0 John Molina Jr. TKO 8 (12), 2:32 Dec 10, 2016 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBC, WBO, and The Ring light welterweight titles
29 Win 29–0 Viktor Postol UD 12 Jul 23, 2016 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBO light welterweight title;
Won WBC and vacant The Ring light welterweight titles
28 Win 28–0 Hank Lundy TKO 5 (12), 2:09 Feb 27, 2016 The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBO light welterweight title
27 Win 27–0 Dierry Jean TKO 10 (12), 2:30 Oct 24, 2015 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBO light welterweight title
26 Win 26–0 Thomas Dulorme TKO 6 (12), 1:51 Apr 18, 2015 College Park Center, Arlington, Texas, U.S. Won vacant WBO light welterweight title
25 Win 25–0 Ray Beltrán UD 12 Nov 29, 2014 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBO lightweight title;
Won vacant The Ring lightweight title
24 Win 24–0 Yuriorkis Gamboa KO 9 (12), 2:53 Jun 28, 2014 Century Link Center, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Retained WBO lightweight title
23 Win 23–0 Ricky Burns UD 12 Mar 1, 2014 Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, Scotland Won WBO lightweight title
22 Win 22–0 Andrey Klimov UD 10 Oct 5, 2013 Amway Center, Orlando, Florida, U.S.
21 Win 21–0 Alejandro Sanabria TKO 6 (10), 0:17 Jun 15, 2013 American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S. Won vacant NABO lightweight title
20 Win 20–0 Breidis Prescott UD 10 Mar 30, 2013 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
19 Win 19–0 Sidney Siqueira TKO 6 (8), 2:47 Nov 10, 2012 Wynn Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
18 Win 18–0 Hardy Paredes TKO 4 (8), 0:40 Sep 13, 2012 The Joint, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
17 Win 17–0 David Rodela KO 2 (6), 2:30 Jun 8, 2012 The Joint, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
16 Win 16–0 Andre Gorges KO 5 (6), 0:44 Apr 14, 2012 Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
15 Win 15–0 Angel Rios UD 8 Sep 10, 2011 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
14 Win 14–0 Derrick Campos TKO 2 (6), 2:31 Jul 30, 2011 Softball Country Arena, Denver, Colorado, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Anthony Mora KO 1 (6), 1:58 Feb 26, 2011 Heartland Events Center, Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Ron Boyd TKO 1 (6), 2:28 Jul 31, 2010 Sovereign Bank Stadium, York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Marty Robbins KO 3 (6), 0:51 May 1, 2010 Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Corey Sommerville TKO 2 (4), 1:25 Dec 19, 2009 Cotton Eyed Joe, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Steve Marquez TKO 1 (4), 2:35 Oct 31, 2009 Cambria County War Memorial Arena, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Miguel Delgado TKO 3 (4), 1:02 May 2, 2009 Cambria County War Memorial Arena, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Lucas Rodas KO 1 (4), 1:52 Mar 21, 2009 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Travis Hartman UD 4 Mar 7, 2009 Valencia Ballroom, York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Michael Williams TKO 2 (4), 1:14 Nov 8, 2008 Valencia Ballroom, York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Aaron Anderson UD 4 Aug 22, 2008 Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Damon Antoine UD 4 Jul 26, 2008 Valencia Ballroom, York, Pennsylvania, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Filiberto Nieto RTD 1 (4), 3:00 Apr 3, 2008 Michael's Eighth Avenue, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Brian Cummings KO 1 (4), 0:26 Mar 14, 2008 Athletic Club, Denver, Colorado, U.S.

Pay-Per-View Fights

United States
No. Date Fight Billing PPV Buys Network Revenue
1
July 23, 2016
Crawford vs. Postol Red vs Blue 60,000 HBO $3,600,000
2
April 20, 2019
Crawford vs. Khan Khan vs. Crawford 200,000 ESPN $14,000,000
3
November 20, 2021
Crawford vs. Porter Crawford vs. Porter 190,000 ESPN $13,298,100
4
December 10, 2022
Crawford vs. Avanesyan Crawford vs. Avanesyan 120,000 BLK Prime $4,800,000
5
July 29, 2023
Spence Jr. vs. Crawford Undefeated. Undisputed. Unprecedented. 700,000 Showtime $59,000,000
6
August 3, 2024
Crawford vs. Madrimov Crawford vs. Madrimov 200,000 DAZN/ESPN $16,000,000
Total 1,470,000 $110,698,100

Fight Viewership

Main Events (Non-Pay-Per-View)

No. Date Fight Network Peak Viewers Ref.
1
March 1, 2014
Burns vs. Crawford Sky Sports/AWE Not Disclosed
2
June 28, 2014
Crawford vs. Gamboa HBO 1,286,000
3
November 29, 2014
Crawford vs. Beltrán 936,000
4
April 18, 2015
Crawford vs. Dulorme 1,084,000
5
October 24, 2015
Crawford vs. Jean 1,200,000
6
February 27, 2016
Crawford vs. Lundy 1,031,000
7
December 10, 2016
Crawford vs. Molina 871,000
8
May 20, 2017
Crawford vs. Díaz 1,036,000
9
August 19, 2017
Crawford vs. Indongo ESPN 1,327,000
10
June 9, 2018
Horn vs. Crawford ESPN+ Not Disclosed
11
October 13, 2018
Crawford vs. Benavidez ESPN 2,700,000
12
December 14, 2019
Crawford vs. Kavaliauskas 1,648,000
13
November 14, 2020
Crawford vs. Brook 2,078,000

Boxing Titles and Awards

Major World Titles

  • WBO lightweight champion (135 lbs)
  • WBO light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
  • WBC light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
  • WBA light welterweight champion (Super title) (140 lbs)
  • IBF light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
  • WBO welterweight champion (147 lbs)
  • WBA welterweight champion (Super title) (147 lbs)
  • WBC welterweight champion (147 lbs)
  • IBF welterweight champion (147 lbs)
  • WBA light middleweight champion (154 lbs)

Interim Titles

  • WBO light middleweight champion (interim title) (154 lbs)

Regional Titles

  • NABO lightweight champion (135 lbs)

The Ring Magazine Titles

  • The Ring lightweight champion (135 lbs)
  • The Ring light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
  • The Ring welterweight champion (147 lbs)

Lineal Titles

  • Lineal lightweight champion (135 lbs)
  • Lineal light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
  • Lineal welterweight champion (147 lbs)

Honorary Titles

  • Undisputed Light Welterweight Champion
  • Undisputed Welterweight Champion
  • WBO Undisputed Light Welterweight Super Champion
  • WBO Undisputed Welterweight Super Champion
  • WBC Welterweight Champion in Recess
  • The Ring Magazine Undisputed Welterweight Champion
  • WWE Undisputed Champion

Boxing Awards

  • Sugar Ray Robinson Award: 2014
  • ESPN.com Fighter of the Year: 2014, 2017
  • Best Fighter ESPY Award: 2018
  • Best Boxer ESPY Award: 2024
  • The Ring magazine Performance of the Year: 2023
  • World Boxing Council's Performance of the Year: 2023
  • World Boxing Organization's Fighter of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023
  • World Boxing Organization's Most Promising Fighter: 2015
  • World Boxing Organization's Fight of the Year: 2014, 2023
  • World Boxing Organization's Triple Crown Award: 2018
  • World Boxing Organization's Most Consistent and Durable Champion: 2019
  • World Boxing Organization's Gordon Volkman Award: 2015
  • World Boxing Association Boxer of the Month: August 2017, July 2023
  • The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (NVBHOF) Fighter of the Year: 2018
  • The RING 8 Muhammad Ali International Fighter of the Year: 2018
  • Sports Illustrated's Prospect of the Year: 2013
  • Bleacher Report's Breakout Fighter of the Year: 2014
  • Forbes Fighter of the Year: 2017
  • The Sporting News’ Men’s Fighter of the Year: 2023
  • Boxing News’ World Fighter of the Year: 2023
  • CBS Sports Fighter of the Year: 2014
  • HBO's Fighter of the Year: 2014
  • Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year: 2017, 2023
  • Top Rank's Fighter of the Year: 2014, 2015
  • Top Rank's Fight of the Year: 2014
  • Top Rank's Knockout of the Year: 2014
  • Premier Boxing Champions’ Performance of the Year: 2023
  • Metro Performance of the Year: 2023
  • BOXRAW Knockout of the Year: 2022
  • Boxing Insider's Fighter of the Year: 2023
  • WBN Stoppage of the Year: 2023
  • The Sweet Science (TSS) Performance of the Year: 2023
  • ProBox TV's Fighter of the Year: 2023
  • ProBox TV's Performance of the Year: 2023
  • The Queensberry Rules Fighter of the Year: 2014
  • Pro Boxing Fans' Fighter of the Year: 2014
  • Pro Boxing Fans' Round of the Year: 2014
  • Pro Boxing Fans' Breakout Performance of the Year: 2014
  • Omaha Public Schools (OPS) Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022
  • The Shadow League Leadership Award: 2015

Film and Video Games

Television and Film

Year Title Role Ref
2016 Terence Crawford: My Fight Himself
2023 Creed III Lorenzo ‘Nightmare’ Jones
2 episodes, 2024 WWE SmackDown! Himself
Video games
Year Title Role Ref.
2024 Undisputed Himself

Images for kids

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Terence Crawford para niños

  • List of world lightweight boxing champions
  • List of world light-welterweight boxing champions
  • List of world welterweight boxing champions
  • List of world light-middleweight boxing champions
  • List of The Ring world champions
  • List of boxing quadruple champions
  • List of undisputed world boxing champions
  • Undisputed championship (boxing)
  • Boxing styles and technique
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