Terence Crawford is undoubtedly one of the most talented boxers the sport has seen, at least in modern times. The switch-hitter from Omaha has carved a path for himself to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame already, despite what others say. If he succeeds against Canelo Alvarez in September, we might see a career only a few can dream of—an undefeated record, the only male three-weight undisputed champion, one of the rare few to give Canelo a loss and a retirement on his own terms. Oh, what a career indeed.

However, as it turns out, we were so close to never witnessing the legend of Terence Allan Crawford. As it turns out, the 37-year-old’s career would have been over even before it began, if not for one crucial decision.

Terence Crawford had to undergo surgery on his right

Recently, the WBA Super welterweight champion had a three-hour-long conversation with former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe on his podcast Club Shay Shay. During the conversation, the 3X Super Bowl Champion hailed Bud as one of the greatest to ever lace up the gloves. As curiosity took over, Sharpe asked Crawford about how he got so obsessed with boxing. Looking back at his earlier days, Terence Crawford noted how losing against Michael Dallas Jr. in the 2002 National Silver Gloves tournament was a turning point for him. Before that, he hadn’t fully committed to boxing. However, after that, redemption became his focus. Thus, he began on his boxing journey with one goal in mind: “I got to get better.” He soon started training in a bid to outwork Danny Garcia, who at the time was one of the most well-known amateurs in boxing. “I could make something out of this. Because I am hanging with top guys around the world,” he recalled thinking to himself.

But just when things were falling into place, a tragedy occurred. “Boom! I get into a fight. I had to have surgery on my hand,” Bud exclaimed. Sharpe queried if it was a boxing match or a fight on the streets. Terence Crawford nodded, confirming that it was in fact a street fight before adding, “In school.” He then went on he recount the incident, how, seeing his injury, the doctors told him he couldn’t box, at least for months. “That just stopped me, and they was like, ‘Man, you can’t box, and for some months. You got to wait till your hand heals’,” he shared.

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However, giving up is not in Terence Crawford’s dictionary, and by then, he was completely hooked on boxing. “And I am like, ‘Man I can’t do it’.” At that moment, Crawford decided to make a decision that would come to define him and his fighting style. “So at that time, I was already going southpaw. But my left wasn’t that strong. I was just doing it because it just came natural to me. So I was just like work on your left,” he confessed. This was a determining moment in his career that turned him into an ambidextrous switch-hitter, an extreme rarity in boxing. Despite not being a natural southpaw, he decided to perfect the stance.

So, as it turns out, Terence Crawford had to turn his weakness into his strength just because of his desire to keep boxing. And despite winning 41 fights on the trot with that left hand, Bud still doesn’t think his left hand is strong enough. However, he did manage to make Sharpe flinch by displaying his boxing skills.

Shannon Sharpe left in shock

Ahead of the Club Shay Shay interview, ClockednLoaded shared a video on their Instagram featuring Sharpe and Crawford inside the ring. In the hilarious clip, the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee noted how Bud’s right hand is bigger than his left one. “You see, your right hand is bigger than your left. Just look at it,” he said.

Terence Crawford casually brought up his hands and stated, “Nah, my left is bigger,” before things took a wild turn. Before Sharpe could even blink, Bud threw his right hand towards Sharpe’s face in a mock punch. No, he didn’t strike the NFL legend, but it was quick enough for the latter to take a few steps back in shock.

Sharpe was caught off guard, and it took him a few seconds to register what went down. “Do you see how you got hit?” Terence Crawford mocked with a grin as Sharpe was trying to catch his breath.

Just a playful moment that turned scary immediately, even while Terence Crawford was just joking. So, even if he thinks that he doesn’t have the necessary power and speed, the evidence speaks otherwise. After all, it is his left that has captured 12 world titles without being stopped even once.

What do you think about Terence Crawford’s story? Do you think he would have been far more dominant without his injury? Let us know your thoughts down below.