Terence Crawford Says Loyalty Doesn’t Apply in Boxing

Terence Crawford believes the loyalty debate surrounding Conor Benn ignores how boxing actually works.

Criticism followed Benn’s reported move to Zuffa Boxing, with some questioning whether he had turned his back on prior promotional ties. Crawford sees it differently. In his view, the sport has always been transactional, and fighters are judged by a standard that rarely applies the other way.

He pointed to how quickly contracts can change tone when results slip.

“If a fighter that they sign loses probably two straight, they get to cut them. No questions asked,” Crawford said during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience. “Why? Because now they wasting money.”

That example, Crawford argued, shows the imbalance in how loyalty is discussed. When a company parts ways with a struggling fighter, it is accepted as business. When a fighter accepts a stronger offer elsewhere, the reaction often turns critical.

“It’s just business. It ain’t personal with them,” Crawford added. “Just like the promotional companies going to do what’s best for them and their business.”

He extended the point further, describing how abruptly careers can be redirected.

“They don’t care about that person’s family… They like, ‘Ah, sorry. It’s just business. Cut you.’ So when a fighter does the same thing… it’s all you disloyal, you this, you that. I’m like, make it make sense.”

Crawford did not treat Benn’s decision as rebellion. He described it as a practical move. Elite fighters have limited prime years, and high guarantees do not stay available forever. Contracts expire. New offers appear. Decisions follow.

For Crawford, loyalty in boxing runs through agreements and results, not relationships. If both sides act in their own interest, he argued, the standard should apply evenly. If Benn loses his fight against Regis Prograis, he’ll at least have the big payday to live off of.