Terence Crawford still has doubters even after the two-division undisputed champion destroyed the biggest challenge of his career in July this year. The Omaha, Nebraska native went toe-to-toe with Errol Spence Jr. in a career-defining fight, winning it via ninth-round stoppage. ‘Bud’ even dropped the top pound-for-pounder three times during their 12-round clash.

Despite that, the first male boxer to achieve undisputed status in two different weight divisions feels the need to defend his name. The same led to him making a bold claim on X (formerly Twitter) today, which later received an equally bold reality check from Leonard Ellerbe. The CEO of Mayweather Promotions came to Crawford’s aid soon after the initial tweet, wishing him for the holidays in the process. 

Leonard Ellerbe claims Crawford would never receive his due credit

The Washington native hopped on the platform, claiming “they” will never credit Crawford for his accomplishments. “Unfortunately, they will never give you the credit you deserve. You know firsthand I’ve seen this movie before,” wrote Ellerbe. He also added that he has seen such things happen to boxers in the industry before. 

The CEO of Mayweather Promotions suggested Crawford should stay keyed into the things that matter the most  – winning fights and making money. He concluded by simply wishing Crawford “Happy Holidays.” However, such words from Ellerbe beg the question – what did the unified welterweight champion say, prompting the response?

Terence Crawford claims he deserves ‘2023 Fighter Of The Year’

Earlier today, the southpaw claimed he is the only man to beat a “top-five pound-for-pound fighter this year.” He especially emphasized the way he defeated Spence Jr., claiming it was “unmatched.” Moreover, citing his win over Spence Jr. as the reason, ‘Bud’ claimed he deserves the “2023 Fighter Of The Year” status. 

He went as far as to say that even though people might claim he just fought once, “that 1 fight was bigger than any of the others.” ‘Bud’ Crawford currently sits atop WBC, WBA, and WBO’s pound-for-pound rankings in the welterweight division. Crawford is expected to face Spence Jr. in a rematch sometime next. However, the weight class of the fight is still uncertain, with some sources pointing at 154 pounds.

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Crawford’s claim to be the Fighter of the Year elicited a response from the CEO of Mayweather Promotions. However, as to why Crawford feels the need to defend himself is uncertain. Perhaps it’s because Naoya Inoue just passed him to become the No.1 pound-for-pound, capturing all WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO rankings by defeating Marlon Tapales. Do you think Crawford is the fighter of the year? 

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