How getting shot in the head put undisputed champion Terence Crawford on a different path

Terence Crawford put the boxing world on notice last weekend, beating his long-time rival Errol Spence in a welterweight title fight.

Crawford dominated the fight from start to finish, becoming the first undisputed welterweight champion in nearly four decades.

Crawford knocked Spence down in the second round and twice more in the seventh before referee Harvey Dock had seen enough in the ninth.

The matchup was billed as the greatest matchup in boxing, but after one round, the fight turned into the Crawford show, putting on a clinic in the ring.

Crawford (40-0) should now be recognized as one of the greatest fighters of this generation, putting an end to any doubts about his ability.

Before the undisputed titles and boxing legacy he created in 2023, in 2008, his life could have been changed for the worst.

Crawford was a 4-0 professional when on August 30 th, 2008, Crawford found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time^, playing dice and counting his winnings with his friends.

A stray bullet, intended for someone he was close to, penetrated his car, hitting the up-and-coming boxer in the back of the head.

The bullet had changed direction after ricocheting off his rear windscreen, taking the impact away and stopping the bullet from going through his skull.

Astonishingly, Crawford managed to drive himself to the hospital, despite losing heavy amounts of blood on the journey. It was there and the birth of his son that changed his course forever.

According to thesun.com, Crawford said: "When my girl got pregnant, that was a whole other turning point."

"To me, being a father is the greatest thing that could ever happen to me. Because I wouldn't want my kids to grow up how I grew up."

Crawford and his wife, Alindra Person, now share six kids, a prize greater than the undisputed belts to his name.

Picture – Instagram @tbudcrawford

The new undisputed welterweight champion of the world was paid just $600 for his professional debut in 2008. Fast forward to now, and he is set to earn around $10 million from his victory against Spence.

Since moving up to welterweight in 2017, Crawford has defended and unified all the welterweight belts, drawing comparisons to Floyd Mayweather and his prestigious career.

Who would have known, after his traumatic event in 2008, that Terence Crawford would turn his life around and become of the greatest boxers in history?