Terence “Bud’ Crawford has risen to fame as one of the world’s most successful boxers, but he might tell you he is just fortunate to be alive.
Just months after making his professional boxing debut, Crawford survived a shooting that could have easily ended his life and career in their early stages.
Years later, Crawford credits that harrowing moment with turning his life around and convincing him to follow a better path. His success in the ring since that night speaks for itself.
Here’s what you need to know about Crawford’s shooting and how he miraculously survived.
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Terence Crawford shooting details
Crawford was shot just below the ear while in the driver’s seat of his car in Omaha in 2008, not long before his 21st birthday. He had been shooting dice before the incident and was counting his money when the shot rang out. The bullet ricocheted off Crawford’s skull, according to CNN, and missed his brain by inches or less.
Despite bleeding profusely, Crawford was able to drive himself to the hospital and survive. He was fortunate enough to only need stitches, avoiding serious damage to his skull or brain. Crawford returned to the ring just two months later, defeating Michael Williams for his fifth professional win.
Crawford credits the shooting with changing the direction of his life.
“When I got shot, it changed my life tremendously and put me on the right path,” Crawford told CNN in 2019. “And that’s when everything started happening there for me with boxing and my family and just everything. My life just took a big turn and started going uphill.”
Despite making changes to his life, Crawford didn’t give up boxing. He instead became more focused on his craft.
“You’ve got to change your life, you’ve got to change the people that you hang out with, you’ve got to change your surroundings, you’ve got to change your train of thought,” Crawford said he told himself. “And I put all my time and my effort into the sport of boxing.”
Consider that effort a success as he has held world championships in four different weight classes.
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Who shot Terence Crawford?
No details are known about the identity of the gunman who shot Crawford, as he presumably fled the scene. In 2025, Crawford offered an ominous update on the shooter.
“The shooter is dead,” Crawford told World Boxing News. “He got shot in the head.”
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Terence Crawford boxing record
Crawford is a perfect 41-0 as a professional boxer, with 31 wins by knockout and 10 by decision. He competed in his first professional fight in 2008 and has fought high-profile boxers such as Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter in recent years.
A 42nd win would not only keep Crawford’s record perfect, but it would be a major boost to his already impressive legacy.
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