A young girl with pink boxing gloves sat atop a man’s shoulders. Beside them, two boys play-boxed as the group walked through the Saturday morning parade that brought thousands to downtown Omaha in celebration of Terence “Bud” Crawford’s historic win against Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13.
“He is the pride of North Omaha and our hometown champion,” Omaha Mayor John Ewing said during a press conference before the parade.
The undefeated Crawford made boxing history when he defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision on Sept. 13, becoming the first three-time undisputed champion — and he did it in three different weight classes.
“He made history in more ways than one,” Ewing said at the conference. “He won with power. He won with smarts. He won with grace. And he won with the name ‘Omaha’ proudly emblazoned on his waist. When Bud won, we won.”
Crawford’s childhood friend Rosendo Robles, who sang for Crawford’s walkout song in the Canelo fight, sang in a mariachi band on one of the first floats to kick off the parade.
Local banks, health centers, radio stations and community organizations had members wearing shirts celebrating Crawford’s victory, blowing bubbles and throwing out candy to kids on the sidelines.
Kids from the Omaha reservation, local sports teams, schools and organizations walked and danced in the parade, which made its way east from 19th and Farnam Streets, turning south at 11th Street and concluding at 10th and Harney Streets.
Around noon, Crawford made his way through, sitting in a chair atop a flatbed trailer with his championship belt across his lap and family at his side. The crowds lining the streets cheered as he lifted the belt in victory.
Shirley Williamson, a health insurance worker from Omaha, showed up to the parade with her friends to support her fellow Omahan in his success.
She said she’s been following Crawford’s career for a couple of years and was thrilled when he won the big fight.
Williamson said she feels Crawford brings the community together, and she loves how humble he is, always giving God the glory.
“All praise to the Lord above me,” Crawford said in the ring on Sept. 13 — his first words in the microphone after being declared the winner.
Omaha native Marcus Vaughn-Jones, 25, attended the parade with family to celebrate Crawford’s win.
Crawford played a major role in sparking Vaughn-Jones’s interest in boxing, and he said he’s been following Crawford’s career for years.
“He makes it really easy to be a fan,” Vaughn-Jones said.
Vaughn-Jones compared Crawford’s fighting style to art. He said he also respects that, rather than showboat and talk trash, Crawford just works hard.
He said he can now brag about Crawford and Omaha to his friends from other cities, who were doubtful Crawford would win against Canelo.
Crawford went up two weight classes, to 168, to fight Alvarez.
Ewing compared Crawford’s journey to the city of Omaha itself.
“Bud’s incredible story exemplifies a city that is often punching above its weight,” Ewing said.
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The mayor said Omaha, too, is jumping weight classes, and the progress on its journey to compete with other major cities can be seen in the construction work going on around town.
Crawford joked during the conference that he wished there wasn’t so much construction going on during his parade.
“Construction means progress,” Ewing chimed in with a smile.
Discussing famous Nebraskan athletes at the press conference, Gov. Jim Pillen proclaimed Crawford the state’s greatest male athlete and “champion of the ring.”
But Pillen said the most important thing to remember is Crawford’s background and the struggles he overcame to become the super middleweight champion of the world.
Dewayne Weaver, an Omaha native who works at West Side Schools, said he lived near and grew up with Crawford’s mother and uncle and got to watch Crawford grow up in their neighborhood.
“I knew he was gonna be special,” Weaver said.
He said Crawford went through hard times growing up in their neighborhood, but he stayed dedicated and followed his dream.
Now, Crawford is inspiring kids to keep their heads up and chase their own dreams, Weaver said.
“He’s giving back, and we appreciate what he does,” he said.
Crawford said representing Omaha and giving back to the community is important to him.
Not many people from Omaha make it big in sports, and those who do often move on and don’t look back, Crawford said.
He said that’s why he makes it a point to live in Omaha and work with Omaha youth as a mentor and role model — he hopes kids will see his success and think, “If he can do it, so can I.”
Ewing thanked Crawford for being a great role model as well as a great champion.
“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,” he said.
Pillen praised Crawford’s work with youth at the B&B Sports Academy, a boxing gym and youth center that Crawford founded in North Omaha.
The world champion has already made an extraordinary impact on boxing, but is making a far greater impact with kids, Pillen said.
“Crawford gives us all hope — gives us all hope that we can compete with anybody in the world in anything that we do,” he said.
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