Promoter Eddie Hearn is orchestrating a plan to lure Terence Crawford out of retirement for one specific fight: a showdown with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. The plan hinges on Ennis becoming a major star, a process that continues this Saturday against Xander Zayas.
Crawford retired in December after defeating Canelo Alvarez to become a three-weight undisputed champion, stating he had accomplished all his goals. Despite Crawford’s firm stance, Hearn believes the fighter’s competitive nature could be leveraged if the conditions are right, even though he has observed signs of physical decline.
“When I have been around him, I have kind of felt like, physically, he has checked out. He talks about his body a lot; he talks about how it broke down, particularly in the last few camps, but Terence is an unbelievable fighter and a real competitor. He lives for competition,” said Hearn. He remains realistic but hopeful. “So, I would never rule it out, but I didn’t get that feeling [that we would return] from talking to him personally, I guess anything is possible.”
The potential return is not for just any opponent. Hearn has a clear target that has long been discussed by fans.
“If ‘Boots’ can get himself into a position where he is a superstar of the sport and there is a huge amount of money for Crawford to fight him, we would love that fight, because that is a fight that I have wanted for a long time. I think that they are two unbelievable fighters.”
The first major step for Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) is his upcoming bout this Saturday. He is set to challenge Xander Zayas for the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles in Brooklyn. A victory would not only make Ennis a unified champion in a second weight class but would also provide the exact boost in profile needed to make a potential offer to Crawford financially irresistible. The path to a Crawford superfight runs directly through Zayas.
