Terence Crawford Talks Upcoming Title Fight & Love of Nikes

Interview with Terence Crawford ahead of his WBA super welterweight title fight.

Terence Crawford will fight for the WBA super welterweight title. / Levi Ventura.

In the pantheon of boxing legends,  Terence “Bud” Crawford will forever be mentioned. The Omaha, Nebraska native is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport and boasts an impeccable resume.

He has amassed a perfect record of 40-0 with 31 knockouts and has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, from lightweight to welterweight. Currently, he holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight titles.

Sports Illustrated caught up with Crawford, and he spoke about his upcoming fight with Israil Madrimov on Saturday, August 3, and his love of Nikes.

During the conversation, Crawford said that he was anticipating taking on Errol Spence Jr. in a rematch after defeating him in a one-sided ninth-round technical knockout last year, but the fight never materialized.

“I expected me and Errol to fight again by the end of last year. When it didn't happen, it was kind of a disappointment because I wanted to get more fights in,” Crawford said. “But everything happened for a reason.”

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Among his many accolades, Crawford became the first male to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the four belt era. When it comes to his place in boxing, Crawford believes that his legacy is intact and with each victory, as moves up to another weight class, will add to it.

“My accomplishments speak for themselves. I’ve done many things in the sport of boxing, with winning the titles, awards I won, moving up and fighting these bigger big guys will be another big accomplishment,” Crawford said.

Although he’s still in his prime and at the peak of his pugilistic powers, Crawford turns 37 in September. He hinted that he could hang up his gloves and retire from the ring in the near future.

“It’s the end of the road baby,” he laughed. “We did everything that we set forth to do and more. We know that the end is near. .It’s been a beautiful journey. 

The thing that excites me the most is how far I have come. The obstacles that I had to overcome to be in the position that I'm in the sport of boxing, and the way that my name will be remembered for years to come,” he continued.

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While Crawford’s next opponent may not be a household name, he presents a formidable challenge. Hailing from Uzbek, Madrimov holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight title with a record of 11 wins, no defeats, and ten knockouts in his brief but stellar career. For Crawford and his camp, the game plan remains the same.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Once change is that I get to eat more now that I moved up,” Crawford explained. “But as far as training goes, we do the same thing from 135 to 154. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. “

“Madrimov is definitely not a pushover. He's a fighter that you have to be careful with. He's a champion for a reason with only 11 fights,” he went on “That tells a story in itself. He's number one rated Junior middleweight right now. So it all makes for a great fight. I’m excited about it. We're gonna see once the fight gets going.”

Known for his attention to detail in the ring, Crawford shared that he will be prepared for anything that Madrimov brings into the ring and has been in intense training for the fight.

“Depending on what my coach is seeing, sometimes we go early, sometimes we go six weeks or more before the date of the fight. But it all depends on the fighter and it depends on me. It depends on if you've been in the gym or if you haven't been in a gym. For me, I stay in the gym so it's really about staying sharp and preparing for that type of fighter I’m going to face.”

When it comes to his choice of footwear in the ring, Crawford says he always wears Everlast shoes which he says gives him the ankle support and comfortability that needs in the ring.

“I'm always rocking Everlast. I've been rocking Everlast for the majority of my career,” he said. “Those are the shoes that I'm more familiar with and comfortable with.”

Outside of the ring, Crawford says that NIkes are his favorite. While he doesn’t consider himself to be an expert in sneaker culture and is not up on the latest trends, his collection is full of all the kicks that he loves.

"Just give me some regular old Nikes,” he laughed. “It doesn’t matter what kind. I’m a simple man. I don't get all into the names like “this is the Air Max 95” or anything like that. I just grab some Nikes that I like. It’s never what everybody else likes. I get the ones I like and I roll with that."

Further Reading: The Oregon Ducks tease new Nike running shoes.