Terence Crawford Reveals Why He Didn't Pursue Another Undisputed Title

Crawford considered dropping down to middleweight before Janibek Alimkhanuly's suspension disrupted the division.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 5:34pm

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Terence Crawford, the only three-division undisputed champion in the four-belt era, revealed he briefly considered dropping down to the middleweight division to pursue another undisputed title before Janibek Alimkhanuly's PED suspension disrupted the 160-pound landscape. Crawford ultimately decided to retire on top after beating Canelo Alvarez to conquer a third division.

Why it matters

Crawford's potential move to middleweight would have been one of the biggest fights in boxing, as he sought to become a four-division undisputed champion. However, Alimkhanuly's suspension led to uncertainty in the middleweight division, convincing Crawford to walk away from the sport on his own terms.

The details

Crawford said he was initially interested in dropping down to 160 pounds to challenge for the undisputed middleweight title, with Alimkhanuly holding the IBF and WBO belts. However, Alimkhanuly's one-year suspension for a failed PED test disrupted those plans, as the Kazakh fighter would have faced WBA champion Erislandy Lara in a title unification bout. With the middleweight division in flux, Crawford decided to retire after his victory over Canelo Alvarez, which made him the only three-division undisputed champion in the four-belt era.

  • In March 2026, Janibek Alimkhanuly failed a PED test and received a one-year suspension.
  • In April 2026, Terence Crawford announced his retirement 10 days after Erislandy Lara beat Johan Gonzalez to defend the WBA middleweight title.

The players

Terence Crawford

A former three-division undisputed champion who considered dropping down to middleweight to pursue another undisputed title before retiring.

Janibek Alimkhanuly

The IBF and WBO middleweight champion who failed a PED test, disrupting Crawford's potential plans to conquer the 160-pound division.

Erislandy Lara

The WBA middleweight champion who defended his title against a short-notice replacement after Alimkhanuly's suspension.

Canelo Alvarez

The Mexican superstar who Crawford defeated to become a three-division undisputed champion, the final fight of his career.

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What they’re saying

“At first I was like, alright, go down to 160 and do it again. [I would've been] four-division undisputed, but Janibek popped. Whoever would've won [Janibek vs. Erislandy Lara] would've had three of the titles. It just was a thought, like, 'You can do it again.' Go down to 160 and dare to be great; fight for something that's meaningful.”

— Terence Crawford

What’s next

Janibek Alimkhanuly is expected to return to the ring in 2027 after serving his one-year suspension, at which point the middleweight division could see a unification bout between him and Erislandy Lara.

The takeaway

Crawford's retirement on top, with a victory over Canelo Alvarez to become a three-division undisputed champion, cements his legacy as one of the greatest boxers of his era. His brief consideration of pursuing a fourth undisputed title at middleweight highlights the ambition and competitiveness that defined his illustrious career.