The past is catching up to Terence Crawford. Ahead of his clash against Canelo Alvarez in September last year, the Nebraska native started making headlines for an alleged shoulder issue. The speculations regarding the same started from a social media post. However, ‘Bud’ Crawford laughed it off and dismissed it as a mere rumor. 

Crawford, of course, went on to dominate ‘Cinnamon’ in an undisputed super middleweight bout, which seemingly proved his point about the alleged shoulder injury. In the aftermath, he called it quits and hung up his gloves for good. However, a new update regarding Crawford’s shoulder appears to confirm that he was indeed injured.

Terence Crawford shares shoulder surgery update

“Crawford confirms shoulder surgery ‘went great,’ but stays silent on key details,” according to NoSpokeBoxing[dot]com on X. “The 38-year-old’s brief DAZN update left fans with more questions than answers. He didn’t reveal when the injury developed, whether it affected his recent fight performance.”

Although details surrounding his shoulder surgery remain undisclosed, early discussions hinted at a potential rematch between Canelo Alvarez and Crawford. However, Crawford’s team quickly shut down the idea, pointing to his decisive victory over Canelo in their September bout. Not long after, Crawford was stripped of his WBC super middleweight title.

WBC President Mauricio Suleiman accused ‘Bud’ Crawford of failing to pay the required sanctioning fees, prompting a strong backlash from the fighter. Crawford fired back, claiming the organization attempted to demand more money than previously agreed upon—despite other sanctioning bodies honoring the original terms. 

He also criticized the WBC for profiting off fighters’ success without offering meaningful support in return. For now, Crawford appears to be staying retired, but could it have been because of the injury? 

‘Bud’ Crawford reveals the real reason behind his retirement

During a February award ceremony from Ring Magazine, ‘Bud’ Crawford opened up about the real reason behind his shocking retirement. Despite talks of a middleweight run and a potential rematch with Canelo Alvarez, Crawford chose to walk away at the top.

“A lot of people keep asking me why I retired,” Crawford said. “I’ve been doing this sport since I was seven years old… if you’ve been taking your body through hell for 30 years, would you retire? That’s why I retired.

At 38, the former undisputed super middleweight champion believed he had nothing left to prove. 

“There is nothing else left for me to accomplish… I gave my all to boxing, but I’m not going to give my health to boxing… I never fought for money. I fought for legacy.”

At this time, Terence Crawford’s shoulder surgery has become a mystery, one he had previously denied. It’s possible that the surgery was needed for a recent injury, but even that is just speculation until Crawford speaks regarding the same. What do you make of it?