When Terence Crawford isn’t busy chasing his children around the house, the current WBO welterweight champion saunters past his trophy case with his eyes beaming with pride.
After aggregating world titles in multiple weight classes, including an undisputed run at 140-pounds, Crawford believes that his ticket to the Hall of Fame was solidified quite some time ago. But while there appears to be no end in sight to his dominance, Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) has been consistently chastised for his level of opposition.
With the newly turned 35-year-old failing to lock in a deal that would see him take on unified champion, Errol Spence Jr., Crawford’s critics have spewed even more vitriol in his direction. Although he does his best to drown out the noise, the Omaha, Nebraska, native admits that he hears his detractors loud and clear.
However, while pundits and fans have lambasted him for taking on David Avanesyan on December 10th, Crawford is convinced that no matter what he accomplishes and no matter whom he faces, his naysayers will continue to throw dirt on his name.
“I used to always care so much what the fans think and what they say,” said Crawford during an interview on The Good Fight With Kate Abdo. “But as I got older, I realized you can’t please them all. No matter what you do, no matter who you beat, no matter how many fights you win, no matter how many divisions you conquer, there’s gonna be fans that don’t like you for their own personal reasons.”
Crawford, over the last few years, has kept a relatively inactive in-ring schedule. In both 2020 and 2021, the switch-hitting star registered back-to-back stoppage victories against Kell Brook and Shawn Porter. To keep up with his yearly appearances, Crawford will look to defend his WBO crown for the sixth successful time when he squares off against Avanesyan.
While he’s done his best to prop Avanesyan up as a viable contender, countless fans across the boxing world have expressed their displeasure with their upcoming bout. From Crawford’s point of view, his situation is far from a unique one. In fact, as his time underneath the pugilistic spotlight nears its end, the pound-for-pound stalwart believes that the next generation of young stars will endure their fair share of criticism as well.
“I feel like all the great fighters get that. All the great fighters that came before me and the fighters that’s gonna be here after me, they’re gonna get the same treatment.”
This content was originally published here.
