Terence Crawford declares he will retire from boxing 'soon' - "Gonna retire from boxing before I let boxing retire me"

Terence Crawford is coming off one of the greatest wins of his career after stopping Errol Spence Jr. in the 9th round of their thrilling affair. The win likely enthroned him as the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, and extended his record to a perfect 40-0, while blemishing Spence's formerly unbeaten run.

But, now that he's 10 fights away from matching the great Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s record of 50 wins and no losses, the unified welterweight champion of the world has spoken about his potential retirement before the sport itself forces him to retire once age and damage catch up to him.

According to a tweet shared by Michael Benson, Terence Crawford spoke to TMZ Sports and showcased his awareness that time and damage accumulated from years in boxing eventually catch up to everyone.

"I'm about to be 36 so I don't see myself continuing to box very much longer. I've been doing it for a long time. I always said I'm gonna retire from boxing before I let boxing retire me."

While retirement before sustaining irreversible damage or tarnishing one's legacy by continuing to fight after a steep decline is wise, it is not something that most fighters are capable of doing. In the MMA sphere, for example, fighters are notorious for refusing to retire on top.

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is currently on a six-fight skid and hasn't won a fight in four years, having lost on the same night that 'Bud' beat Spence. Such occurrences are also common in boxing, with legendary pugilists like Evander Holyfield, continuing to box past their primes.

Crawford will look to avoid the same fate by retiring on top and riding off into the sunset when the time is right.

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Terence Crawford's ties to famous rappers

Due to his excellence inside boxing's squared circle, Terence Crawford has become a well-known figure to celebrities who follow the sport closely. This is especially true with rappers, who are often requested by boxers to accompany them to the ring on their walkouts.

Prior to his bout with Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford received support from rapper Rick Ross, who predicted that he'd emerge victorious come fight night. Meanwhile, Eminem, a hip hop legend, walked 'Bud' out to the ring for the bout and the two even embraced backstage after Crawford's win.