Terence Crawford has finally spoken out and revealed exactly who his toughest ever opponent was in a shock claim.
The 38-year-old from Nebraska announced his retirement from the sport earlier this month, bringing an end to his glittering professional career which saw him become a world champion in five weight classes.
Crawford was last in action on September 13 when he defeated Mexican icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas via unanimous decision to capture the undisputed super-middleweight championship, becoming the first male fighter of the modern era to achieve this feat in several divisions.
Another legacy defining victory for ‘Bud’ came in July of 2023 when he outclassed countryman Errol Spence Jr before stopping him in the 9th round of their Las Vegas showdown to become the undisputed world champion at 147lbs.
Speaking on a social media livestream recently, Crawford surprisingly revealed two-time world featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa as the toughest opponent he ever shared a ring with.
“No, [Canelo wasn’t the hardest fighter I ever fought]. [Yuriorkis] Gamboa [was the hardest person I ever fought]. And that was at 135lbs.”
Crawford faced Gamboa at the Century Link Center in his hometown of Omaha back in June of 2014, stopping him in the ninth round of their clash to successfully defend his WBO world lightweight title for the first time.
Gamboa has proved to be a durable opponent for a number of highly-rated fighters during his career, sharing the ring with the likes of Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis over the years.
