Will Terence Crawford stay retired? Former opponent gives his verdict

Israil Madrimov knows what it takes to face Terence Crawford, and he is insistent that his former rival will never fight again. 

Last month, Crawford shocked the world when he announced that he was walking away from boxing just three months after the best win of his career against Canelo Alvarez. 

Crawford was a decent sized underdog against the Mexican icon, but he ripped up the script by outpointing the legendary fighter after 12 rounds of action. 

With talk of a rematch between the pair and speculation linking Crawford to showdowns at middleweight, his retirement was unexpected. 

Crawford leaves the sport of boxing as a five-weight world champion, and he also finishes unbeaten after defeating some of the biggest names of his era including Canelo, Errol Spence, and Shawn Porter. 

Despite that impressive legacy, some in the sport believe that Crawford will return at some point in 2026, but Madrimov is not one those people. 

“Before he announced his retirement we met, and he told me he’s done, he’s had enough of the sport, that he had achieved everything possible and that he’s not chasing money,” said Madrimov when speaking to The Ring. 

“He don’t care about all that stuff. He has everything he needs. God bless him. I’m super happy for him. When he told me this, I was thinking maybe he was just saying that and maybe he was gonna get that huge offer, and he’ll take it. 

“But he said no, that he doesn’t care. I believe that Terence is a man of his word. He said all he wants is his legacy and to leave the sport as one of the GOATs, one of the best, and without a blemish on his record. I respect and appreciate that and wish him only the best of health and wealth for him and his big family.”