Clad in a tuxedo, Crawford stepped on stage at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York to accept the annual honor for the first time in his career from Ring Magazine.

“I guess I did pay the cost to be the boss,” Crawford said with a smile. “What a way to end your career. Anything is possible if you believe in yourself.” 

It came as somewhat of a surprise when Crawford announced his retirement in December. Crawford was entertaining the idea of a middleweight run to become a six-division champion, while Canelo Alvarez, the superstar he conquered in September, was inclined for a sequel once recovered from surgery and healthy again this fall. 

But Crawford left boxing, retiring as an unbeaten undisputed super middleweight champion and the pound-for-pound king. 

“A lot of people keep asking me why I retired,” said Crawford. 

“I've been doing this sport since I was seven years old. I retired at 38. Ask yourself: if you've been taking your body through hell for 30 years, would you retire? That's why I retired. There is nothing else left for me to accomplish in the sport of boxing. I gave my all to boxing, but I'm not going to give my health to boxing. 

“If I were to come back, who would I fight? I have nobody to fight and nothing to accomplish. That would mean that I am just coming back for the sport, and money. I never fought for money. I fought for legacy.”

In a move seemingly stamping the decision that his fighting days are done, Crawford had a lavish retirement party in Nebraska last month with family and friends. 

“I'm taking the time to travel the world and spend time with my family,” said Crawford. “I'm not worried about anything right now. I said I was going to take a year off, just to do that, and then think about what to do next. But for now, I'm just relaxing.

“I'm going to miss the competitiveness. I'm a competitor and like to compete, to be the best in everything I do. At the same time, I'm going to appreciate not waking up early and taking my body through hell.

“Whether or not I got my flowers or not, I'm respected and everyone knows that the legacy of Terence Crawford is real. The things that I accomplished in the sport of boxing are going to be hard to top.”