Terence Crawford remains one of those few select forces in the boxing world who can turn heads wherever he goes. If you need proof, just look at what happened in London. The newly crowned light middleweight champion joined fans to watch the Anthony Joshua–Daniel Dubois fight at London’s Wembley Stadium. Needless to say, a crowd thronged to catch a glimpse of the P4P best boxer in the world. Crawford clearly seemed to be enjoying his popularity across the pond.

However, while in person the selfies and shaking hands went smoothly, in the social media landscape altogether a different script appeared. On a lighter note, of course. ‘Bud’ Crawford mingling with Londoners saw a few imaginative ones recall the recent mix-up that occurred at the Noche UFC, where the four-division champion was hilariously misidentified as Grammy-winning musician Kendrick Lamar.

Terence Crawford: A shining star all around

TNT Sports mentioned the name Kendrick Lamar in sheer jest. Then, in an apparent correction, they mentioned Terence Crawford—getting in touch with English fans. Wearing a gold-maroon ‘Chasing Greatness’ jacket, the Nebraskan champion, as the attached clip showed, was seen interacting with supporters standing outside a barricade.

Last weekend Crawford was sitting cage side at the ‘The Sphere’. The venue hosted the Riyadh Season Noche UFC, headlining the Sean ‘O Malley–Merab Dvalishvili fight. The show gave an eclectic experience to the audience and viewers. But one of its highlights remained the inconsequential blunder that showed Kendrick Lamar’s name against Terence Crawford’s picture.

Incidentally, the Compton-born rapper had used ‘Bud’ Crawford’s name in one of his tracks earlier this year. On his part, the world champion laughed it off while discussing the slip-up. Even UFC boss Dana White joked about it. “He did kind of look like Kendrick Lamar, though,” he said while speaking with the reporters at the press conference.

From boxing to pop culture: The Crawford Impact

For the boxing fans, Crawford’s presence in London and later in the arena proved just another excuse to whip out the Noche UFC memories. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.

“Tyson Fury and Kendrick Lamar in the house,” commented director-producer Jed I. Goodman as the picture of Crawford sitting in the row behind Tyson Fury went viral. To understand how the light middleweight champion’s presence energized everyone, check out the way the next fan found himself completely hyped up. They simply called out, “Bud is in the house—let’s f**king go.”

Adopting a humorous tone, the next user perhaps wanted to emphasize that it may appear odd to prioritize branding while one is at the last leg of their career. Nevertheless, even at that stage, the activity remains a critical one. The user said, “Gotta build that brand no matter if you’re on the last year of your career 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤷‍♂️.”

It seems the effect of the Kendrick Lamar gaff has spread far and wide. “Kendrick Lamar in the house,” said soccer player Andy Makhachkala as TNT Sports shared clips of an interview with ‘Bud’ Crawford where he shared his views on the Joshua-Dubois fight.

Premier League presenter Becky Ives reiterated the first thought that comes up in the mind of most Terence Crawford fans—the foremost P4P boxer in the sport. She said, “Best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet?!”

Fans can rest assured that once he comes up with these comments, Terence Crawford is going to have another round of laughter.

As far as boxing goes, there’s still no update on his next fight. Rumors about the potential matchup against Canelo Alvarez always persist. But there’s a high possibility ‘Bud’ Crawford may opt for title unification against Sebastian Fundora. Otherwise, he could settle for the highly anticipated faceoff with Vergil Ortiz Jr. as well. But whatever the step he takes, fans will be keenly following Kendrick Lamar. Oops, please excuse….Terence Crawford.

Do you feel a rematch with Errol Spence Jr. at 154 pounds would be different from the one that happened a year ago?