Terence Crawford is back training for the first time since retiring – and fans unsurprisingly want to see him back in the ring.
‘Bud’ called time on his legendary career in December 2025, three months after he pulled off a masterclass to defeat Canelo Alvarez and become the king at super middleweight.
In doing so, Crawford also became the first male three-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era – winning world titles across five weight classes in total.
Having teased a comeback in 2026, the 38-year-old said he was walking away from the sweet science ‘as a great with nothing else to prove.’
But that hasn’t stopped calls from fans — including Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who urged Crawford to end his retirement in April — to make a return.
And excitement among the boxing world to see Crawford back in the squared circle has particularly heightened this week.
Crawford ‘back in my favourite place’
In late July, Crawford took to social media to say that he was getting back in the gym to ‘get in some shape’ to prepare Guatemalan boxer Lester Martinez for his fight against Luka Plantic on August 29.
“I gotta get back in the gym and get in some shape if I wanna get back in there with you bro,” Crawford said.
Martinez is trained by Crawford’s famed coach Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre and has shared rounds with ‘Bud’ as a regular teammate in the past.
And on Thursday, Crawford posted a montage of him ‘back in my favourite place in the world’ hitting the pads alongside Martinez.
His return to training comes just weeks after former foe Alvarez admitted his regret towards not inserting a rematch clause in his contract to fight Crawford in September.
Although the Mexican superstar said a rematch ‘was never discussed,’ he said it was a ‘mistake’ on his side not to sign for one, and that is a fight Alalshikh would love to make.
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“I hope that the rematch can happen. If not, it’s fine — we need to move forward, right?” Alvarez said.
Crawford’s return to the gym will, of course, add further fuel to the fire regarding a potential return.
The Nebraska native has continuously poured cold water over a comeback since hanging up the gloves, even playing down a $200million deal to fight Conor McGregor.
Ryan Garcia: I want Crawford out of retirement
Furthermore, WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia is convinced he can get ‘Bud’ back in the ring and even defeat him if he overcomes Conor Benn in Las Vegas on September 12.
“I have always wanted to fight [Crawford],” Garcia said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“I still want to fight him. I want to get him out of retirement and beat him. I don’t see anything that [suggests] I can’t beat him.
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“It would be a good fight, but I know I’d beat him.”
However, Crawford is no doubt content with retirement and it seems it would take a monumental offer to get him back, despite the consistent noise.
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