Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn says Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is the guy who will unseat Terence Crawford from his throne as the pound-for-pound King in the sport.
Boots Ennis Tipped to Dethrone the Old King
To do that, Hearn will need to move Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) quickly because the 38-year-old Crawford is rapidly nearing the end of his career and is already close to being a relic. Eddie is talking about Ennis, 28, swiftly capturing all four belts at 154 to become the undisputed champion, then moving up to 160.
Crawford will be long gone by the time ‘Boots’ follows through on Hearn’s vision. In an ideal scenario, Ennis could scoop up four belts at 154 by the end of 2026, then move up to 160 to pick off whoever holds the belts in that dead, barren, lifeless weight class.
Sharks Would End Bud’s Run Overnight
Crawford will no longer exist in the sport without Turki Alalshikh keeping him in it by providing him with massive paydays and beatable opposition. If Turki gives Bud the tough love by insisting that he fight the sharks to earn his $50 million paydays, he could fall apart almost immediately.
“I think this guy [Ennis] is going to go through this division [154], move up to 160, and be a three-weight world champion. I think he’s the guy to replace Terence Crawford. I think he’s that good,” said Eddie Hearn to Ring Magazine about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis being the guy to replace the aging Crawford.
Benavidez Deserved the Call
Ennis looks good enough to replace Crawford right now. If Turki had thrown his money behind ‘Boots’ fighting Canelo Alvarez on September 13th, he’d likely have won that fight and would be the #1 pound-for-pound fighter right now.
The fact that Crawford was given the opportunity rather than Ennis or David Benavidez shows that it’s more about being well-liked by your employer. Crawford was given the fight against Canelo that should have been given to Benavidez. The ‘Mexican Monster’ had earned the fight against Canelo.
I don’t believe that even if Crawford were young, he could hold up against a talent like David Benavidez, Christian Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias, Dmitry Bivol, or Lester Martinez. But now that he’s 38, he can’t be put in with those guys and expect to come out with a win.
Turki’s Millions Delay the Inevitable
As such, the only way I see Crawford hanging on long enough for ‘Boots’ Ennis to face him is if Turki Alalshikh allows him to handpick his opponents and pays him mega-millions. If Crawford is forced to run the gauntlet with the above apex predators, he won’t make it through.
“After this fight, we want Vergil Ortiz. We want Murtazaliev. We want Fundora. He [‘Boots’ Ennis] will beat them all. After this [Uisma] Lima fight, anyone can get it, whether that’s Crawford, Ortiz, Fundora, or Murtazaliev. “I can’t see anyone beating him,” said Hearn about Ennis.
