Buildertrend faced-off against Bud Crawford. Here’s what happened

The undisputed champ. A fighter through and through. One of the best in the world.

As a professional boxer who has held multiple world championships, Terence “Bud” Crawford is one of the greats. So, what were we thinking here at Buildertrend HQ when we challenged him to a battle?

Gulp.

Well, we love an opportunity to prove ourselves – and it sounded like fun. (Black eyes be damned!) Plus, it was a chance to give back. Buildertrend made a $10,000 donation to Crawford’s B&B Sports Academy, a nonprofit gym dedicated to building the character of young people, including at-risk youth.

However, in the interest of being honest, this fight wasn’t in the ring. And we actually traded boxing gloves for ping pong paddles. That’s right, we had a no-holds-barred table tennis tournament against Bud and his crew.

Yep, nothing says “tough” like table tennis. Seriously! Imagine one of those zippy ping pong balls hitting you square in the eye. Bam. Black eye – just like we said. Yeah, we’d like to see Rocky screaming for his beloved Adrian after that blow.

Good news is we played clean, kept things safe and nobody walked away from the tourney with any injuries (well, not counting bruised egos). Even better news? We did – in fact – have what it takes to beat Bud.

The famed boxer made it to the final eight in our 64-person bracket. However, ultimately, Joe Ritzdorf, an onboarding specialist, conquered all and won the tourney.

A huge congrats to Joe, and a huge thank you to Bud and his team for helping us host such a unique employee event and being great sports as well.

Now, let’s hear from the four Buildertrend employees who faced off against the Champ himself – including the brave soul who beat him.

Round 1: Bre Ferris vs. Terence Crawford

Q: What was the final score?

A: He skunked me! He beat me 7-0. However, I was just trying to lull him into a false sense of security for his next competitor because I’m such a good team player.

Q: How do events like this help build culture at Buildertrend?

A: We are like one big family, and events like this allow people to connect outside of work and show how much we really are valued as Buildertrend employees. I mean, I think the back-to-back win for #1 Best Places to Work in Omaha speaks for itself.

Q: How does it feel to lose to one of the greatest boxers in the world?

A: He’s a heckuva athlete. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance for a rematch, and I can at least get some points on the board next time

Round 2: Andy Kollath vs. Terence Crawford

Q: How was Bud as a competitor?

A: Definitely intense, but a class act all the way around. He is one of the most down-to-earth guys. He signed my paddle and a ping pong ball. Plus, he took a ton of time to talk with employees and take photos.

Q: What would you have done differently to win?

A: Go back in time a month and attempt to get semi in-shape.

Q: Was losing to Bud Crawford on your bucket list?

A: No one likes losing, but, yeah, at least I can say I competed against a world champion athlete!

Round 3: Alex Kirshenbaum vs. Terence Crawford

Q: Were you nervous facing Bud Crawford?

A: I actually wasn’t nervous at all to play him. I was very excited to even get the opportunity. He was a great sport – no trash talking at all.

Q: Where does this rank among other Buildertrend employee events?

A: This was definitely my favorite Buildertrend event I’ve been to yet. It was great seeing all the people who play ping pong who I never knew played.

Q: At any point did you think you had him beat?

A: Yeah! I was up 6-0, and I thought I had him. Then I had a 10-point lead before he adjusted and came back. But, it was an awesome experience to play Bud.

Round 4: Joel Nixon vs. Terence Crawford

Q: How did it feel to beat one of the greatest boxers in the world?

A: It was surreal for sure. It’s funny because the day after people around the office I’d never talk to before told me “good game” and how cool it was to beat a world champ.

Q: How does this event represent Buildertrend?

A: Events like this make Buildertrend Buildertrend. The company does an amazing job of employee engagement by not just having events but going above and beyond. Who else caters food and puts on a ping pong tourney for their employees with a world champion boxer? It’s no surprise we’ve won #1 Best Places to Work in Omaha two years in a row.