Terence Crawford keeps his name out of the headlines these days. The top boxer focuses on bulking up and adapting to a different weight class. He's got no warm-up fight scheduled before a possible clash with Canelo Álvarez.
Crawford and Álvarez might face off in Las Vegas this September. That'll happen if Canelo beats William Scull on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Crawford takes pride in his self-made legacy. He earned his spot at the top of the sport without relying on others to establish himself.
Many great boxers had defining fights that made their careers. Muhammad Ali beat Sonny Liston. Oscar de la Hoya knocked out Chavez. Mayweather crushed Oscar de la Hoya. But Crawford doesn't have that one big fight. Why? Because other boxers avoided getting in the ring with him.
Instead, Crawford forged his legacy with sweat and tenacity. His fierce consistency made him an undisputed titan of boxing and an eternal figure in the sport's history.
In an interview with Shannon Sharpe, Crawford talked about how Pacquiao avoided fighting him at a crucial time.
"I didn't count on Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Sugar Shane Mosley and those guys. They were boxing figures that could pass the torch to him. Nobody passed the torch to Terence Crawford," Crawford said. "I made my own way. I didn't take advantage of any boxer. I fought my way to the top."
Crawford believes he earned his top role through hard work. Now, he's got his sights set on fighting Canelo. He wants to silence his critics. For Crawford, it's not about money or records.
