“I gave my all to boxing, but I’m not going to give my health to boxing.” Months after he announced his retirement from the sport, Terence Crawford’s words echoed across the boxing world. It’s been nearly eight months since the first man to conquer undisputed championships in three different weight classes walked away from boxing.

Being only 38, he still gets call-outs to unretire and fight. Yet the Nebraskan remains adamant. While involved with boxing through media appearances and as an analyst, Terence Crawford has made his stance on a comeback clear. Coming off a historic win over Canelo Alvarez, there were several reasons for him to leave the sport while at his peak. Among those, concerns about his health likely remain the most significant. Speaking on The Real Report with Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda, Crawford explained why the physical damage boxing could cause a fighter later in life led him to discourage his eldest son from ever pursuing a similar path as him.

“Yeah,” he replied when Yayo asked if his son, Terence Crawford Jr., wrestled. “Just want to stay as a freshman. So, he still, you know, got three more years to try to be a four-time.”

The response prompted the co-host, Leonard Carl Grant, aka Uncle Murda, to ask why Junior was pursuing wrestling instead of boxing.

“Well, I used to wrestle,” Crawford said. “My dad, he was a big wrestler and boxer. My grandpa, my uncles, they were state champions and things like that. So wrestling and boxing are in the blood. So personally, I just didn’t want him to box because of the head trauma and the magnitude of brain damage and things like that. So I told him, You can do anything but football and boxing.”

Given the success Crawford Jr. has been having, the former champion is quite happy his son is staying away from boxing. On February 21, the youngster reached a major milestone when he won his first Nebraska high school state championship. The tournament took place at Omaha’s CHI Health Center, where Crawford Jr., who attends Omaha North High School, defeated Riley Pederson in the 106-pound Class A division.

Bud Crawford’s son finished his freshman season with a 36-6 record. So it is likely the former five-division champion would rather see his son, the eldest among his six children with partner Alindra Person, continue to find success on the wrestling mat rather than in the ring.

While his son is still very young, considering a future in wrestling or another related sport instead of professional boxing may have been influenced by Bud Crawford’s own concerns about the long-term effects of the sport.

It’s not that injuries do not occur in wrestling or mixed martial arts. They do. But the long-term impact of those injuries can be less severe when compared to the damage a life in boxing could cause. One of the biggest concerns surrounding boxing is that repeated blows to the head can have lasting effects, particularly as fighters grow older.

Dementia pugilistica, or punch-drunk syndrome, which is a neurodegenerative disease reportedly caused by repetitive blows to the head, is one example.

For someone who achieved so much in boxing, choosing to discourage his son from competing in the sport is likely to raise a few questions.

In that context, it is notable that Bud Crawford is not the only prominent figure from the sport who has been reluctant to see his children follow the same path.

Terence Crawford isn’t alone in trying to keep the next generation out of boxing

After winning an Olympic silver medal and becoming a junior welterweight champion as a professional, Amir Khan, who also suffered a loss to Crawford, once said, “Boxing is probably one of the toughest sports in the world. I know what I go through, and I could never see my child go through that. My dad’s really happy with what I’ve achieved in the sport of boxing, but still it’s hard to see your son or your daughter in a boxing ring. When it comes to daughters, never; I’ll never let her throw a punch.”

Similarly, while his son Emmanuel Pacquiao Jr., “Jimuel,” eventually made his professional boxing debut last November, he initially faced stiff resistance from his father, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, and mother, Jinkee Pacquiao. There were reports that the famous couple would not even keep anything boxing-related at home to keep Jimuel away from the sport.

There are cases where sons, after following in their father’s footsteps, became successful fighters. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Conor Benn, and Chris Eubank Jr. are good examples.

Yet the dangers and uncertainties surrounding boxing have led some boxing fathers to discourage their children from taking up the sport.

One is often reminded of Mike Tyson. Not too keen about his son Amir Tyson’s interest in becoming a pro boxer, the former heavyweight champion reportedly told him to instead “take advantage of his wealth.”

While Terence Crawford may not have given his son such advice, it is clear he would rather see Junior pursue wrestling than follow him into boxing.