Terence Crawford Already Questioning Dana White After Canelo Boxing Deal

“It’s literally a once in a lifetime fight. Live on Saturday, September 13, streaming globally on Netflix, two of the GREATEST boxers in the sport will meet in a historic fight from Las Vegas,” Dana White announced, brimming with excitement as he announced his involvement in the much-anticipated Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford bout, his first major boxing event, with support from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Just days earlier, White had voiced his enthusiasm for his new venture, candidly acknowledging the flaws inherent in boxing. “There’s a lot of f—ed up things about boxing.” Yet, he is hopeful he can bring about a change. While the UFC President is eager to make his mark in boxing, Terence Crawford seems to have his attention momentarily diverted by something far from the squared circle.

Earlier today, a clip shared by The Ring Magazine on Instagram stirred conversation after showing Terence Crawford participating in a “power slap” setup at the UFC Performance Institute. Standing opposite him was Steven Nelson, a close friend of his who last fought unsuccessfully for the WBC USA and WBO International Super Middleweight titles against unbeaten Diego Pacheco on January 25 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The video, captioned “Terence Crawford slapping Steven Nelson at the UFC PI earlier today 😅” shows Terence Crawford taking the first turn and landing a slap so powerful it sent his peer Steven Nelson crashing to the ground.

Terence Crawford also reshared the clip on his Instagram story, and tagging Dana White, he asked, “@DANAWHITE WHO’S NEXT?” Clearly, Bud Crawford enjoyed the experience of Dana White’s “Power Slap” and appeared eager to participate further, calling for another opponent. What caught even more attention was his follow-up story, which featured a short clip where a doctor in hospital scrubs had arrived to check whether Terence Crawford was on testosterone, an amusing nod to the sheer force of his slap. The official Power Slap Instagram account also joined in on the fun, reposting the original story and captioning it, “Sign ’em up!” hinting at the fact that Dana White should just consider signing the two boxers.

Not to be left out, Steven Nelson also posted the viral clip on his own Instagram, providing some firsthand insight into the impact of Terence Crawford’s slap. “My face hurt and I think @tbudcrawford busted my eardrum… I should have went first 😡👋🏾” he wrote. Nelson later took the joke even further by sharing a sarcastic video of himself with two charging cables placed in his nostrils like oxygen tubes. He jokingly said, “I just wanna thank everybody who reached out to me, who prayed for me. It’s been a long day,” before closing with a joke that he would play around anymore.

Whether the slap was entirely serious or partly staged remains open for debate, but it’s evident that Terence Crawford is genuinely enjoying the moment. With rumors swirling that the Canelo Alvarez fight might mark the end of Bud Crawford’s legendary boxing career, the timing is interesting. If retirement is truly on the horizon, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Terence Crawford transition into Power Slap, perhaps just for the thrill of it.

Jeff Mayweather claims Terence Crawford could retire after $10M Canelo clash

In a recent video shared by The Mayweather Channel, Jeff Mayweather offered his thoughts on Terence Crawford’s future in boxing. “I think if he [Terence Crawford] beats Canelo, I think that’ll be enough for him,” the 60-year-old trainer said. With the mega-fight against Canelo Alvarez scheduled for September 13 and streaming globally on Netflix, Floyd Mayweather’s uncle believes a win would be the perfect closing chapter to Crawford’s already stellar 41-0 career. While he didn’t speculate on what might happen if Crawford loses, his view was clear: a victory could mark the end.

The interviewer followed up, asking, “So, you think he might walk away after beating Canelo?” Jeff, who is also an IBO super featherweight champion, doubled down. “I think so. I think that I mean that’ll be probably one of the greatest accomplishments in boxing, a guy coming up from three weight classes,” he said. And he’s not wrong. If Terence Crawford defeats the Mexican superstar, it would be a defining moment, arguably placing him among the sport’s all-time greats.

The reporter agreed, stating, “I think that’s enough. He’ll cement his legacy and he won’t be worried about pushing himself.” Jeff Mayweather nodded, adding, “His legacy is already cemented. All I mean, you know, he’s just adding to it. He’s trying to add to it.” Indeed, should Terence Crawford beat Canelo, he would become the first fighter in the modern four-belt era to become undisputed in three different weight divisions, a historic feat that few could match, let alone surpass.

As of now, the 41-0 boxer hasn’t officially confirmed any retirement plans, opting to stay quiet about what comes after September 13. However, with longtime trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre echoing similar sentiments, speculation is only growing louder. So, what do you think? Will Terence Crawford hang up his gloves after this monumental bout? And if he does, would you be curious to see him channel that intensity into something as unexpected as Power Slap?