The state of Nebraska, the city of Omaha and the community of North Omaha proudly took notice Saturday.
People cheered, chanted and held up their cell phones hoping for a decent video of one of the greatest boxers of all time, Terence “Bud” Crawford, as he moved down a parade route in downtown Omaha.
Thousands of people united to celebrate Crawford’s unanimous victory over Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13, which earned him the super middleweight crown.
Crawford is the first man to win an undisputed title in three weight classes, since the four major governing bodies of boxing began working together to crown champions in 2004. The man from North Omaha and graduate of Bryan High School jumped up two weight classes to compete against Alavarez, who many pundits say is the face of the sport. With a decisive win, though, the man they call Bud cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to wear the gloves.
At Heartland of America Park on a sunny and warm afternoon following the parade, Crawford said thank you to everyone who supported his journey.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me to be here with you all today,” Crawford said, “blessing me with the skills to show the world that anything is possible.”
After all the pre-fight hub-bub and after defeating Alvarez, Crawford made a point to be thankful the two men walked out of the ring safely and went home to their families. It’s that humility mixed with quiet confidence he carries that’s emblematic of the state and city.
Fans weren’t just celebrating Bud’s big win.
He also turned 38 years old Sunday. It’s unclear whether the 42-0 champion, who owns 31 wins by knockout, will continue his career. Life has been busy following his latest win, and he hasn’t had time to think about whether he will enter the ring again, Crawford said.
The city of Omaha organized several videos to play during the program where celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal and Eminem congratulated Crawford and wished him a happy birthday.
Shaq’s clip roused the crowd by starting a sing-along to “We Are The Champions” by Queen.
During the parade, childhood friend Jimmy Scott-Buffkins slipped in the idea that he bested Crawford in basketball, though Scott-Buffkins was smart enough to avoid fighting him.
“This is history. History is made, and he made it,” Scott-Buffkins said, “and he put us on the map.”
Community pride oozed through the air, with several chants and adoring cheers beaming from the crowd. Area resident Marlon Harrison wanted people to know talented people come from Omaha.
“Omaha is a hidden gem,” Harrison said. “And me, I’m proud to be from this city.”
Part of that city and community pride has to do with Crawford’s dedication to developing the city.
Even though he’s been wildly successful, Crawford has chosen to stay in Omaha. He opened B&B Sports Academy in North Omaha in 2013. It’s a free boxing gym for kids in the area. Scott-Buffkins holds that mission close to his heart as a youth basketball coach.
“Me and Bud, we grew up and we have the same goals,” Scott-Buffkins said, “keep these kids off the streets, get their education and be something in life.”
As for the question of whether Crawford is the greatest boxer ever, Scott-Buffkins said that answer is easy.
“He is the greatest boxer of all time,” Scott-Buffkins said, “and I’ll tell anybody that he is the greatest boxer of all time, period.”
Many people from North Omaha agree that Crawford sets the bar. Crawford represents North Omaha, a primarily Black neighborhood, while also motivating the next generation, said Y’Shall Tarlon.
“Today is Black excellence. We are from this community. It’s an underprivileged community, and they don’t think that someone as amazing as Terence Crawford could come from this community,” Tarlon said, “but yet, here we are celebrating the pound-for-pound champion of the world.”
Crawford’s boxing gym is indispensable, Tamika Mease, executive director of the North Omaha Community Partnership, said.
“Some people think it’s just sports or something extracurricular, but it’s actually violence prevention,” Mease said. “And I know young men where that has actually saved their lives from them being a part of B&B (Sports Academy) and having some place to go throughout the week every day, where they can hone in on their boxing skills and be around positivity and not out in the streets.”
The boxer’s greatness rivals Malcolm X as one of the most influential figures for the Black community in Omaha, Mease said.
During a press conference, Crawford said it’s important to proudly display Omaha and Nebraska signage on the big stage. Many of the successful people from his hometown haven’t stayed.
“Most of the people that make it from Omaha, they don’t come and give back, or they leave and don’t turn around and look back,” Crawford said. “It was very important for me to stay in Omaha, to give those young individuals hope.”
A message of hope for young people has been a constant in Crawford’s career, and he echoed that sentiment in his opening remarks Saturday.
“Anything is possible if you work hard at it, and you believe in yourself and you have the faith to keep going,” Crawford said. “No matter what obstacles are put in front of you, you can achieve anything.”
Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. said Omaha and Crawford have each punched above their weight.
“He made history in more ways than one. [He] won with power. He won with smarts. He won with grace,” Ewing Jr. said, “and he won with the name Omaha proudly emblazoned on his waist. When Bud won, we won.”
It’s important to have a role model living in the city, Ewing added.
“I’m always thrilled to see how he interacts with our young people and the role model that he is,” Ewing said. “I think it’s great to have role models across the country, but it’s always even better to have a role model right here in your own town.”
Crawford displayed “technical excellence” against a strong puncher like Canelo, Ewing said.
Gov. Jim Pillen spoke at the press conference and proclaimed Crawford as the greatest male athlete in the state’s history. Nothing was handed to Crawford, who found a mentor and passed down his wisdom to the next generation, Pillen said.
“I think that’s maybe one for all of us to think about is impacts each one of us can have, [with] what Bud’s doing with his boxing club,” Pillen said. “It takes all of us fighting through all the different challenges.”
Crawford took the motto of famous boxer Muhammad Ali “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” to a whole new height, Pillen said.
Crawford held at gunpoint by police, cited for reckless driving
The joyous day, however, ended on a sour note.
Just hours into his 38th birthday around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Crawford was pulled over by Omaha police officers. In a statement, the Omaha Police Department said officers held the boxer and three passengers at gunpoint after officers said they noticed a firearm on the driver’s side floorboard. That weapon, along with one carried by a passenger, were legally owned.
Nebraska enacted a permitless carry law in 2023, which made it legal to carry a firearm without a permit so long as the person does not have a felony record or recent domestic violence conviction. In its statement, the Omaha Police Department did not state whether or not Crawford had a firearm permit. The department also did not respond to an email from Nebraska Public Media News on Monday morning.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer authorized an internal investigation into the incident. Crawford was cited for reckless driving.
Ewing said his office promises to be “transparent with the public about our findings” from the investigation.
“I learned Omaha police pulled over Terence “Bud” Crawford on a traffic stop downtown early this morning,” Ewing said in a news release. “After learning of this, I spoke personally to Bud Crawford. I acknowledge the seriousness of what occurred and how trust between law enforcement and our community is important and shows the need to be continuously vigilant about building relationships.”
Mease, with North Omaha Community Partnership, said she trusts Ewing and Schmaderer to handle the investigation justly. However, this is an opportunity for more officer training and to reprimand the officer who pointed the gun in Crawford’s direction, Mease added.
A short video of the incident from someone in the backseat of the car was posted on social media. It depicts an anxious scene where an officer is pointing a gun toward the driver’s side window, while Crawford unbuckles his seatbelt, insists he’s not reaching for the weapon and steps out of the vehicle.
OPD said it’s aware of the video.
Prior to the incident and during his speech in the park, Crawford said sports have the power to unite.
“I want to thank my urban community. I want to thank my Latin community, and I want to thank my white community,” Crawford said. “I want to thank my Asian community, my African community. I want to thank everybody, because today you see us all as one.”