Rick Glaser states that Terence Crawford can’t make big money fighting Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and the fights he can make huge dough are against Tim Tszyu, Conor Benn, and Canelo Alvarez.
Fans believe that Crawford should be focusing on the sport, not just enriching himself as he heads out the door into retirement.
Fighting Boots, who is at the top of his game and not depleted from car crashes, would show that Crawford is the true King of the welterweight division and not just some guy who won his belts against a worn-out Errol Spence.
Crawford is more focused on money, and his best options are against these three:
– Canelo Alvarez
– Tim Tszyu
– Conor Benn
It would make Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn happy if Crawford chooses to fight Conor Benn because that would give him a British fighter a chance to make some big money against the biggest star at 147, without earning the shot by going through someone talented like Boots.
Benn would obviously have no chance against Boots Ennis, and Hearn would never make that fight, knowing the outcome.
Crawford’s focus is on money at this stage of his career, and he won’t maximize the revenue he can get fighting a risky opponent like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
He’s not a big name yet in the U.S. because he’s avoided. The IBF stripped Crawford and elevated Boots because Terence wasn’t going to defend against him after capturing the strap against Errol Spence Jr. last year.
For some boxing fans, it’s difficult to imagine Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) making more money fighting WBO junior middleweight champion Tszyu and the unproven British welterweight Benn than he can against Boots Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs), who arguably has a bigger following in the U.S than either.
Glaser points out that the Saudis would “pay huge money” for a fight between Crawford and Conor Benn (22-0, 14 KOs), but he doesn’t say why, perhaps because the Saudis work with Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who would do a good job of selling the idea of a fight.
It would look more credible to the rest of the world outside of Saudi Arabia and the UK if Benn at least fought a quality welterweight because he’s not yet done that. Conor is about to turn 28, and arguably the best name on his resume is 37-year-old Chris Algieri.