Terence Crawford has shut down any talk of a return since his December retirement, but many remain hopeful he will fight again.

Crawford became the first three-weight undisputed world champion since Henry Armstrong (1938) when he captured all four super-middleweight titles with a monumental victory against Canelo Alvarez back in September.

The Omaha-born sensation retired off the back of that triumph, hanging up the gloves with an undefeated record of 42-0 and a legacy that will be respected for generations to come.

Since then, a host of fighters have called for a shot at ‘Bud’, but even a lucrative rematch with Mexican superstar Canelo has proven to be of no interest to the 38-year-old.

This week, Crawford had also shut down whispers of a possible clash with WBC welterweight ruler Ryan Garcia, telling the Californian that he is simply ‘not on his level and that there is nothing to entertain’ in that proposed fight.

However, on X, Crawford then dialled back a little, telling Garcia to build some legacy-defining victories and become undisputed to earn the right to even discuss a fight.

“Ryan Garcia keep working my boy, you got a lot of catching up to do. Try becoming a 1 time undisputed champ just one time and then we can talk.”

Many will see Crawford’s statement as fun and games, as he appears to be comfortable in retirement. Garcia, however, may see it a serious challenge with a potentially huge reward.

Garcia – who has said Crawford ‘left a lot on the table’ by retiring too early – is currently being linked to a unification clash with fierce rival and WBO titleholder Devin Haney, with either July or September being a possible date for that in-demand rematch.

Meanwhile, Rolando Romero (WBA) – who has already beaten Garcia – and Lewis Crocker (IBF) hold the other belts in the division, making the road to the undisputed title a long one.