Crawford: Boxers go in the ring as one person, leave a different one
Crawford says boxing fans generally don’t understand what fighters have to go through.
As Terence Crawford gets ready to defend his welterweight world title tomorrow night, he talks with reporters and answers questions about fans who criticize the way certain fighters fight.
Crawford on why some people think it’s ‘cool’ to take punches in order to put on an exciting show:
“Because they haven’t gotten hit before. So all those people that criticize boxers for boxing never been in the ring before. They never had the pleasure of getting knocked upside the head for 12 rounds. You know, like, it’s not fun. We do it because it’s our job but boxers go in the ring as one person and leave a different person.
“And you go home, you eat your popcorn, and you talk to your family and you say ‘oh, that was a great fight.’ But it was a great fight for you to watch, but you don’t think about the fighters that went through hell to entertain you.”
On people believing you have to go through adversity in order to prove your greatness:
“I just laugh at it because to me it’s just people not knowing what they looking at.”
On how much longer he thinks he has left in boxing before calling it quits:
“I don’t know, I haven’t really decided yet. But I know it’s not gonna be a lengthy time before I retire. So enjoy me while it lasts.”