Terence Crawford

Terence Allan Crawford, known by his nickname “Bud”, was born on September 28, 1987, in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. He is an esteemed professional boxer who has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title since 2018. Crawford’s journey in boxing began at the tender age of seven, and he quickly rose through the ranks, defeating future world champions Mikey Garcia and Danny García in his amateur career.

Crawford made his professional debut on March 14, 2008, and his first significant bout was against Breidis Prescott, which he won by unanimous decision. Crawford’s career has been marked by a series of impressive victories, including winning the WBO and Ring magazine lightweight titles from 2014 to 2015, and the Unified World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), WBO, and Ring light welterweight titles between 2015 and 2017. In August 2017, Crawford had a short reign as the undisputed light welterweight champion before moving up to welterweight. He was the first undisputed champion at light welterweight since Kostya Tszyu in 2004. Crawford also became the first male boxer to simultaneously hold all four major world titles in boxing (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) since Jermain Taylor in 2005. Some of his key career highlights include defending his WBO title against Ray Beltrán and becoming the undisputed champion at light welterweight after knocking out Julius Indongo in round three.

From 2018 to 2022, Terence Crawford continued to dominate the boxing world with his exceptional skills and strategic prowess. In June 2018, he defeated Jeff Horn to win the WBO welterweight title, marking his entrance into the welterweight division. He successfully defended this title multiple times against formidable opponents such as José Benavidez Jr., Amir Khan, and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. In November 2020, he faced former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, winning the bout by a technical knockout in the fourth round. Crawford then continued to show his prowess in the ring by scoring a knockout in a fight with David Avanesyan in December 2022.

On the historic date of July 29, 2023, an epochal welterweight clash unfolded at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. Advertised to the public as “Undefeated. Undisputed. Unprecedented.,” the match showcased the unified WBA Super, WBC, and IBF champion, Errol Spence Jr., against the WBO champion, Terence Crawford. Terence “Bud” Crawford etched his name in the annals of history with a resounding ninth-round TKO, shattering Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr.’s previously unbeaten record and solidifying his position as the first undisputed welterweight champion in the four-belt era.

In a pivotal seventh round, Crawford orchestrated two decisive knockdowns, unequivocally showcasing his dominance. However, the acclaim was short-lived as Crawford faced the repercussions of being stripped of the honor. This sudden turn of events stemmed from a mandatory title defense obligation that Crawford failed to fulfill, resulting in the coveted belt now residing in the possession of Jaron Ennis. This unforeseen twist adds a layer of complexity to the narrative of welterweight supremacy.

Terence Crawford is most known for his switch-hitting ability. That is his ability to fight from both the orthodox and southpaw stances at a high ability. From the southpaw stance, Crawford likes to use his lead right hand as a probing device and to control his orthodox opponent’s lead hand. Since his right hand is his dominant hand, he can use it for much stronger control and can transition to counter jabs and lead hooks from his dominant hand should his opponent present an opening. Crawford’s signature technique is the check hook from the southpaw stance. Whenever his opponent rushes or lunges forward into him, Crawford times them stepping in with the hook, and simultaneously pivots and steps out to his right. Another signature technique is his swivel jab from the southpaw stance. Crawford will oftentimes throw a 1,2 combination but then finish it by swiveling his hips from the straight left, back with a powerful right jab. This often catches opponents off guard as it is uncommon for fighters to throw a jab after the straight. Crawford will also set the swivel jab up by throwing a probing straight left, or a throw away straight left, not meant to land and do damage, but to set up an opening for the swivel jab to land. Again, since his right hand is his dominant hand, the check hook and swivel jab have extra power behind them.