Terence Crawford’s Childhood Admission About Mum Leaves Fans Divided

Terence Crawford is in line for a career-high purse for the biggest fight of his career on Saturday - years on from his mother's controversial parenting methods.

Crawford is vying to make history by becoming undisputed champion in three divisions when he takes on Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in a massive superfight at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Canelo is expected to take the bigger share of the money for the Netflix encounter but the enormity of the bout should give Crawford a handsome pay packet - irrespective of the newly introduced six-figure bonus from Dana White and Turki Alalshikh.

'Bud', undefeated in professional boxing with a 41-0 record, has come a long way from a difficult childhood growing up in Omaha, Nebraska.

With his father away in the U.S Navy, only child Crawford was predominantly raised by his mother Debbie and she did many questionable things while raising him.

Taking tough love to the extreme, she used to beat him with a belt and paid local kids to 'whoop' him - but none were every successful as Crawford demonstrated his fighting ability early on.

While his dad had belief he was going to be a world champion and Crawford loved him dearly, his mum told him he "wasn't gonna be *s***" and that filled him with rage.

"He beat up everybody in the neigbourhood," she recalled in an interview with ESPN.

Terence Crawford takes on Canelo Alvarez on Saturday. Image: Getty

"I would pay the kids. I would say, 'If y'all can whoop Bud, I will give y'all ten dollars a piece. Couldn't none of them whoop him.

"[There were] lots of kids in the neighbourhood. None of them could whoop him.

"He told me, 'Mama, I told you I'm the best'. He was 13 when he told me, 'Mum you ain't gonna whoop me no more' and he took the belt from me."

Crawford, who also survived a gun shot was desperate to prove his mother wrong and hope to get approval from her with his accomplishments after he took up boxing as a 12-year-old at C.W. Boxing Club.

But although their relationship later improved, that appreciation from his mum never arrived and she never even told him she loved him.

Crawford explained: "When she was always telling me, 'You're gonna lose' or you're not good enough, it's like, 'Okay, when I win this tournament she's gonna say 'Congratulations, I'm proud of you' - but it never happened."

Crawford's relationship with his mother improved. Image: Getty

Opinions on the treatment Crawford was subjected to were split, with some understanding and others baffled by what he went through.

One user on TikTok wrote: "Imagine your mom being your opp."

A second said: "It's crazy how she is getting props but I feel for him he had the most evil mother in the world you can tell he was hurt".

A third added: "This man is still a wounded child in an adult body"

However a fourth disagreed and said: "Old carrot on a stick trick to keep him progressing in his craft"

A final user explained: "That's what parents should say to their kids to make them strong".