Let the record show that a scrappy little kid that nobody believed in from Omaha, Nebraska, made it.
On Saturday morning, in downtown Omaha, the city held a victory parade for its native son, Terence Crawford, on the occasion of his career-defining, ninth-round knockout over Errol Spence Jr. two weeks ago in Las Vegas to become the undisputed welterweight champion.
Wearing a fishing vest and bucket hat, before a throng of supporters, the often reserved and unflappable “Bud” offered a heartfelt speech that underscored the merits of self-belief and discipline.
Crawford’s win over Spence was notable in that it was hardly competitive: Crawford registered three knockdowns and was never once imperiled in a thoroughly dominant performance.
“When Jesus said, ‘I used to have nothin’, I felt that in my heart—in my soul,” Crawford reflected. “I remember being 12 years old, in the streets, running to my grandma’s house, tryna to get it. [I always thought to myself], ‘Man, I’mma make it. Ain’t nothin’ gon’ stop me from makin’ it.’ Yeah, I was bad, I was in the streets with all the knuckleheads, but I still kept my mind on my ultimate goal, and that was to become a world champion.
“I always felt as if I was a leader and I was put in the place that I’m in now to lead. All my friends, all my peers, all my family members, all of ’em drunk, all of ’em smoke, all of’em liked to party. I was the only one out of everybody that never drunk, that never smoked. I was high off of life.
“Little kid from Omaha, damn,” Crawford added. “Little kid from Omaha. Overachiever. I always say I’m an overachiever because my dream was just to win one title. Now I’m on top of Mount Rushmore.”
“If y’all know me, if y’all know the real Terence Crawford,” he continued, “none of y’all thought I was gonna grow up to be the guy that’s standing in front of [you], y’all said, ‘Boy, you was a bad little…Now you speak so nice, you giving back to the community, you represent us well.’
“And half of you thought I was gonna be dead or in jail, but you know, I’m glad I turned my life around for the best. Like I say, it ain’t how you start the race, it’s always how you finish it.”
A three-division titlist, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) could be headed for a rematch with Spence later this year, possibly at 154 pounds.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.