Boxing’s power shift: New era declared as world champion claims global supremacy after Crawford walks away

The retirement of Terence Crawford sent ripples through boxing, impacting a number of fighters and divisions.

Canelo Alvarez’s plans to avenge his September 2025 defeat to Crawford were immediately scrapped, while the super-middleweight division was left without a recognised number one.

Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo made him a three-weight undisputed champion, but his decision to hang up the gloves left all four titles vacant.

The WBA have since acted to elevate interim titleholder Jose Armando Resendiz to full champion, while the remaining three belts are expected to find new owners this year, with a host of contenders lining up for their opportunity.

The fallout extended beyond the world title picture and into the pound-for-pound debate. While inherently subjective, such rankings continue to shape discussions around boxing’s elite, regardless of weight class.

READ MORE : The bold claim and surprising factor that could end Terence

For several years, Crawford featured prominently in the top three alongside heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) and multi-weight phenom Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs).

With Crawford now removed from the equation, Usyk and Inoue are widely viewed as the leading candidates for the top spot, depending on who you ask, with Dmitry Bivol and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez commonly cited to round out the top five.

Inoue enjoyed a busy 2025, making four successful defences of his undisputed super-bantamweight title. His year was capped with a routine points victory over David Picasso last month in Riyadh.

Prior to his final fight of the year, Fight Hub TV caught up with the Japanese star and asked whether Crawford’s retirement now made him the best fighter in the world. Inoue’s response was characteristically brief.

“Hai (yes).”

Whether Usyk would agree is unlikely to become a pressing debate. What is beyond doubt is that boxing currently boasts two exceptional champions who, in their own ways, are staking legitimate claims to greatness.

After Over “$300,000” Joe Rogan Unleashes Furious Rant at Boxing Authority After Terence Crawford Is Stripped Over $300,000 Dispute

The longtime UFC color commentator was among those laying heavy praise on Terence Crawford for what he did inside the boxing ring last September.

Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez after moving up two divisions to challenge the Mexican legend for undisputed super middleweight status.

The American’s upset victory in Las Vegas saw him become the first male fighter in the four-belt era to win the undisputed championship in three divisions.

But ‘Bud’ did not occupy the undisputed throne for long after a financial dispute resulted in the WBC stripping him of the super middleweight title

A few months after his victory over Alvarez, Crawford was stripped by the WBC for not paying $300,000 in mandatory fees to the sanctioning body.

While explaining its decision to take back the belt, the WBC said it had reduced Crawford’s obligation from 3 percent to 0.6 percent of his reported $50 million purse.

READ MORE : “I Thought It’d Be Tougher” Terence Crawford Refuses to

Crawford aimed an epic rant at the WBC after he was stripped, and Rogan recently followed suit with a passionate reaction of his own.

“Ridiculous,” the UFC commentator said while speaking to Gable Steveson during an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. “Terence Crawford’s like, ‘F— you, I’m the champ, I just beat Canelo.’

“Is that what they wanted from him, $300,000? They stripped him, I know they stripped him, which is crazy.

“That is so nuts that they get paid that much just to be a sanctioning body,” he continued. “And what are they doing? They’re not doing anything. It doesn’t mean anything.

“‘Dethroned over $300,00 fee’, wow. That is crazy. ‘Unpaid fees end brief reign as undisputed champ’. It doesn’t matter! He’s the f—— champion! You can’t take the guy’s belt because he’s not willing to give you money.

“F— you, he won. He won, f— off. F— off, he won.”

Crawford announced his retirement from boxing shortly after being stripped by the WBC, and he recently delved into the reasoning behind that decision.

The 38-year-old insisted that losing his undisputed status had nothing to do with it while speaking to Adin Ross on a live stream.

“No, not at all, that’d be stupid of me,” Crawford said

“I’m 38. 38 is old in boxing. I’ve been boxing since I was seven. I have nothing else to prove. I have nothing else to accomplish.

“It’s like, what more can I do? They’re not gonna give me the credit anyway so it really doesn’t even matter,” he added.

Ominous Verdict: Something Would Go “Very Wrong” – Teasing of Ominous Verdict on Prime Floyd Mayweather vs. Terence Crawford Superfight  From Jeff Mayweather

Both men retired undefeated and both exited the sport at what many consider the ideal moment. Now boxing is left to debate the ultimate hypothetical: who would have won a fantasy fight between Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford?

Mayweather’s retirement in August 2017 came just two days before Crawford secured his second undisputed championship, dismantling Julius Indongo at super-lightweight. At the time, Crawford was only just beginning a run that would elevate him into the sport’s modern elite.

Terence Crawford eventually followed Mayweather into retirement in December, stepping away a few months after a stunning victory over Canelo Alvarez to complete a remarkable hat-trick of undisputed titles — this time at super-middleweight. It capped a rise from 135lbs to 168lbs, a journey comparable in ambition, if not scale, to Mayweather’s own ascent through the divisions, where he claimed world titles from 130lbs to 154lbs

READ MORE :“I Thought It’d Be Tougher” Terence Crawford Refuses to

In an era where many fighters linger beyond their peak, Mayweather and Crawford proved that boxers can still leave the sport on their own terms. Their exits, however, have only fuelled debate over how they might have fared against one another at the height of their powers.

While unwilling to pick against his nephew outright, Jeff Mayweather offered his perspective on the fantasy matchup during an appearance on The Mayweather Channel.

“I think he [Crawford] would give Floyd some trouble. But I just think that Floyd is just the best defensive fighter.

“I think that Floyd [and] Crawford’s best weight class was actually at lightweight. Floyd was maybe better at junior lightweight, but still at ‘30 and ‘35 was doing knockouts.”

Mayweather captured his first world title at super-featherweight on October 3, 1998, holding the WBC belt for three years before moving up to lightweight. It was during those early championship reigns that Mayweather displayed a spiteful edge and finishing instinct that would become less pronounced as he evolved into the sport’s supreme defensive technician in later years.

“I Thought It’d Be Tougher” Terence Crawford Refuses to Let Canelo Go After – Comment

Terence Crawford: The last fight of Mexican boxer Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez was very disappointing for the 35-year-old (born July 18, 1990) in Guadalajara, Jalisco, as he lost for the third time in his great career by unanimous decision (116-112; 115-113; 115-113) to the stellar American Terence Crawford and with it lost his status as undisputed super middleweight champion with the belts he had from the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Association (WBA), the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

As announced last month, the fight that took place on Saturday, September 13 at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL), was the last fight in the fabulous career of the man nicknamed ‘Bud’, who at 38 years of age (September 28, 1987), has decided to hang up his gloves after winning all 42 professional fights he fought with 31 decided by knockout.

“I’m not going to lie, I did think it would be harder (the fight vs. Canelo Alvarez). When I got in there and started to feel him, I said, ‘OK, I got it.’ First round, second round, I thought, ‘OK,’ he wasn’t throwing punches at me, we weren’t exchanging anything,” Terence Crawford told streamer Adin Ross.

READ MORE :“Retirement Over Rematch“ Terence Crawford Sends Direct

“The only thing he was trying to do was to press me more and more, but if he did that I was going to counter him. And that’s the situation, a lot of people spend a lot of time talking about how big he is, his resistance to punches, that he was going to knock me out, that he was going to run over me, that I wasn’t going to be able to hurt him.”

These words, while not surprising coming from the Omaha, Nebraska native, do put into perspective some of the criticism that the Mexican boxer has received, who was also accused by his last opponent of underestimating him before stepping into the ring.

“Nobody said I was going to hit him, or that I was going to hurt him or things like that. You can see it in the fight, he respected my power a lot, he was frustrated because he couldn’t believe that I could hit him like that, I think a lot of people underestimated me, my strength, my power to hit and I think Canelo did too, that’s why he was surprised,” concluded the first triple undisputed world champion in boxing history in the era of the four aforementioned organizations.

“Retirement Over Rematch“ Terence Crawford Sends Direct Message to Canelo After Choosing 

Terence Crawford announced his retirement from the sport of boxing earlier this month, hanging up the gloves off the back of a win over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

‘Bud’ Crawford became a three-time undisputed world champion when he dethroned the Mexican icon, making a two-division jump for the challenge and largely cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

It wasn’t long until Canelo announced that he was targeting a rematch, and many felt that it was one of the only big money fights out there for Crawford, even despite the convincing nature in which he won.

To nip any rumours in the bud, the American announced via social media that he was walking away undefeated and on top of him game.He has largely been praised for the decision, with the likes of Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr backing him.

Still, some, including promoter Eddie Hearn, have suggested that the announcement could well be a bargaining chip for future fight negotiations.

READ MORE : “Respect From a Monster”: Artur Beterbiev Congratulates Terence

On a recent livestream with Adin Ross, Crawford was asked if he had ever been contacted about a return fight

“No. Never.”

Asked if it’s something he would consider, he said:

“It’s over with. If there was a rematch clause in the contract then I’d have to honour that, but it’s over with.”

The decision leaves Alvarez, who has vowed to continue fighting, in a tricky spot. He may well look to win back his super-middleweight belts, which are now to be scattered and fought for among the top contenders, but that route does not offer any names on the scale of Crawford.

“Hardest Fight I Ever Had”: Crawford Reveals Career-Defining Battle as He Announces Retirement

Terence Crawford is preparing for life after boxing following his shock retirement earlier this month.

Terence Crawford announced in December that he has made the decision to hang up the gloves following his historic victory over Canelo Alvarez in September

‘Bud’ successfully moved up two weight divisions to dethrone undisputed super-middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez, claiming a unanimous decision win at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

That victory saw Crawford become the first male fighter to ever earn undisputed status in three separate divisions, having already achieved it at super-lightweight and welterweight after claiming wins over the likes of Errol Spence, Shawn Porter and Viktor Postol.

While many fans may view Canelo as Crawford’s toughest ever opponent, ‘Bud’ has disagreed, after revealing an unlikely choice as his hardest rival.

READ MORE :Terence Crawford has issued a bold challenge to move up and

Speaking on a live stream with Adin Ross, Crawford named Yuriorkis Gamboa as his most difficult fight.

“Gamboa. And that was at 135.”

‘Bud’ met Gamboa at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska back in June 2014, claiming a ninth round stoppage win to retain his WBO lightweight title.

Gamboa held world honours at featherweight during his professional career after defeating fighters such as Orlando Salido and Jonathan Barros, whilst he also won a gold medal as an amateur competing at flyweight at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

He last fight in April 2022 when he suffered a fifth round stoppage defeat to Isaac Cruz, with that his third straight loss after coming up short against Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis, meaning he has won 30 of his 35 professional contests.

Terence Crawford hit with a shocking warning before Canelo Alvarez rematch — and it comes from Roy Jones Jr.

It’s not every day that a 37-year-old boxer picks up the best win of his career. That’s likely why Terence Crawford, over a month removed from his victory over Canelo Alvarez, is taking his sweet time before making a decision on the future of his boxing career.

No one, including Crawford himself, knows what the now-38-year-old boxer will do. “Bud” moved up two weight classes to face Alvarez. With the undisputed super middleweights in tow, he could stay in the division and try to dominate it. That would surely come with a rematch against Canelo, given that the Mexican is more than likely to stay in the division he reigned supreme in for so long.

Roy Jones Jr. doesn’t think Terence Crawford should do a rematch against Canelo Alvarez

Is that the best move, though? Not everyone believes so, and that includes boxing legend Roy Jones Jr.

READ MORE : Terence Crawford Says There Is Only One Heavyweight Better Than Oleksandr Usyk

In a recent interview with Ring Magazine, Jones gave his thoughts on what Crawford should do going forward. It doesn’t include a rematch with Canelo.

I think he should go down and win a title at 160. Because he won it at 147, 140, 154, 168. Go get 160. You’ve got to close it off. That’s fire.

When asked if he’d like to see the Canelo rematch, Jones said, “not really“. Jones was also asked what he’d like to see Canelo do going forward, and it seems like the 56-year-old isn’t sure about the Mexican’s immediate future.

Jones says that Alvarez has “done more than enough” in the sport. Other than a rematch with Crawford, there really isn’t much else Canelo can do to further his legacy. In a way, Jones is hinting that a retirement for Alvarez could theoretically be in the cards

Crawford Faces Stunning Setback – One Rival Bout Could Cost Him Boxing’s Top Honor

Terence Crawford undoubtedly earned the biggest win of 2025 last month.

At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez to become the undisputed super super middleweight champion.

Many even believed that the unanimous scorecards didn’t truly reflect just how dominant ‘Bud’ was on September 13.

While there have been some hot takes about what Crawford achieved, there’s no denying that the manner of his performance after moving up two weight classes was incredibly impressive.

It may seem like he has the ‘Fighter of the Year’ award already in the bag, but one upcoming fight could challenge that position.

When it comes time for The Ring magazine to crown their ‘Fighter of the Year’ for 2025, Terence Crawford is likely going to be the first name that’s put forward.

READ MORE : UFC Legend Sends Strong Warning to Gervonta Davis Over

His win was so impressive that some have even urged Crawford to retire while he’s on top of the sport after everything that he has already accomplished

That being said, there are some that criticized Canelo Alvarez’s display on September 13, questioning whether the Mexican star overlooked his opponent.

Crawford’s win was the biggest moment in boxing this year, but it’s also the only time that he has competed in 2025.

Naoya Inoue, on the other hand, who is ranked as The Ring’s #3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, two spots behind ‘Bud’, has been much more active.

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‘The Monster’ has already produced three wins this year to defend his undisputed super bantamweight titles, including a bout with Ramon Cardenas where he recovered after being dropped in the second round

Terence Crawford would join an exclusive list of American fighters who have been named The Ring’s ‘Fighter of the Year’ in recent times.

The magnitude of Crawford’s win in September still puts him in a strong position as the fighter that most people will consider to be the favorite for the award.

However, if Naoya Inoue can end the year with a big performance against Alan Picasso, there is room for a debate.

“No More Excuses!” Terence Crawford Dared to Accept Legacy-Defining Clash With Undefeated Former Unified Champion

Eddie Hearn wants to see Terence Crawford face Jaron Ennis in 2026.

Terence Crawford has yet to commit to his next move in the sport and is pondering his future after becoming undisputed 168lbs champion with victory over Canelo Alvarez.

He has teased both retirement from the sport and potential fights at 160lbs, or whatever route will provide any life-changing financial incentive.

The likes of middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly and Carlos Adames have offered to step in with Crawford in recent weeks.

But now it is a familiar face who wants to take on Crawford, several years after the pair were originally ordered to face each other.

READ MORE : “Tension Builds After Anthony Joshua Reportedly Agrees

Eddie Hearn wants his charge Jaron Ennis, who has been tipped as a future pound-for-pound king in the sport, to step in with Crawford imminently. 

He said: “For me, that is a fight for the ages, against (Terence) Crawford.

“But, we have to prove ourselves — look, Terence is only going to fight ‘Boots’ if there’s loads of money on the line.

“Because he knows how good Ennis is, and he’s not gonna fight anymore, unless it’s for a lot of money.

“He has to earn his shot against Crawford, but that is the fight in nine to 12 months time — three fights down the line.”

Ennis’ would arguably be the biggest remaining test on the table for Crawford within the three weight classes he is open to competing in.

RELATED NEWS : Yes Not For Me ’I ll Never Step Into the Ring with Terence

Crawford vs Ennis seems unlikely given a bout previously failed to materialise.

In July 2023 while both at 147lbs, Crawford was ordered to face ‘Boots’ for the IBF title by the governing body, but the bout didn’t happen.

Yes Not For Me ’I ll Never Step Into the Ring with Terence Crawford David Benavidez Reveals the Real Reasons

Terence Crawford : It didn’t take the boxing world long to start thinking about who Terence “Bud” Crawford would fight next after he defeated Canelo Alvarez and took his undisputed super middleweight belts on September 13.

In fact, Turki Alalshikh, who was in charge of getting Crawford and Canelo to face off in the first place (and footed the bout’s bill), wasted no time making an X post hinting at who he’d like to see Crawford fight next just moments after he got his hand raised against Canelo.

“Can David Benavidez still make 168 pounds?” Alalshikh wrote in the X post, which amassed over 1.2 million views on the platform.

Of course, David Benavidez is the reigning WBA light heavyweight champion and was the WBC super middleweight champion from 2019 to 2020. He currently boasts an undefeated 30-0 record with 24 KOs, is one of the most terrifying punchers in the sport, and tried to fight Canelo for years.

READ MORE : “It’ll Take Something Crazy”: Terence Crawford’s Team Demands

However, Canelo repeatedly made it clear that he has no interest in fighting Benavidez, which has started a narrative that Canelo was ducking him.

David Benavidez Explains Why He Won’t Fight Terence Crawford

Despite Alalshikh’s desire, Crawford vs. Benavidez isn’t looking likely. And Benavidez (who is now fighting at 174 pounds) explained why he doesn’t intend to fight Crawford during an October 6 interview with Fight Hub TV

“I’m done with [super middleweight],” Benavidez said. “I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Crawford. He put on a h*** of a performance. He’s up there with the Mount Rushmore of the greatest fighters of all time. Let Crawford do his thing, bro. At the end of the day, I have no interest in fighting Crawford. I have no interest in fighting at 168.”

RELATED NEWS : Terence Crawford Forced Into Clash With the World’s Tallest

He then added, “I wouldn’t even go to 168 for Canelo, and I’m just being real with you. Let Crawford do his thing, let him have his. I have to give him his flowers, man, because he’s a great fighter… I have no interest in going to 168. I’m not saying I’m scared of Crawford, or whatever. But Crawford is the man at 168. That’s his weight class. I’m done at 168.”

When asked whether he would go down to fight Crawford at 168 pounds if he was given $120 million, he said, “I mean, $120 million sounds good. But honestly, at the end of the day, no. They won’t give $120 million. I don’t think Canelo got $120 million to fight Crawford… No, man. I’m done at 168. They can throw whatever money they want at me.”

Props to Benavidez for being a man of principle. But one would imagine he’d at least consider a final fight at super middleweight if he were offered $120 million.