Undefeated world super middleweight champion Terence Crawford announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday, three months after a career-defining victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

The 38-year-old Nebraskan dominated the Mexican legend in Las Vegas in September to claim the undisputed super middleweight crown, and confirmed his decision in a video posted on social media.

“I’m stepping away from competition, not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different type of battle,” Crawford said. “The one where you walk away on your own terms.”

Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) retires as the reigning WBA, IBF, and WBO super middleweight champion after defeating Alvarez by unanimous decision in a masterful performance. He had also held the WBC super middleweight title but was stripped of it earlier this month over a dispute regarding sanctioning fees.

In his video message, Crawford reflected on his career, saying it was driven by a desire to keep “proving everyone wrong.”

“Every fighter knows this moment will come, we just never know when,” he said.
“I spent my whole life chasing something. Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling you get when the world doubts you, and you keep showing up, proving everyone wrong.
I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breath I had.”

Crawford’s career spanned three decades, making his professional debut in 2008 and quickly establishing himself as one of boxing’s brightest talents. He won his first world title, the WBO lightweight crown, with a victory over Scotland’s Ricky Burns in 2014.

Over the course of his career, Crawford captured 18 world titles across five weight classes, culminating in his triumph over Alvarez. Remarkably, he retires undefeated, having never been officially knocked down in a fight. All 42 of his victories came by unanimous decision or stoppage, with no judge ever scoring a fight in favor of an opponent.