Max Kellerman expects Terence Crawford to fight again, telling Ring Champs that Jaron “Boots” Ennis could eventually draw him out of retirement by giving him a challenge he cannot leave alone.
Kellerman puts the odds of Crawford never returning “close to zero.” His reasoning rests on Crawford’s competitive nature and the possibility that his desire to test himself returns as he gets older.
“I have zero inside information. This is not based on anything anyone’s telling me. This is my evaluation of human nature,” Kellerman said to Ring Champs.
Max believes the real test of Crawford’s retirement will come when he starts questioning how much time he has left. Being confident he can still beat everyone allows him to walk away without settling anything else. Feeling that ability beginning to slip could make another fight harder to pass up.
Ennis is the opponent Kellerman sees providing that temptation. He imagines Boots becoming the recognized champion at light middleweight, with talk about a Crawford fight bringing Bud’s competitive instincts back.
A Canelo Alvarez rematch would generate more business, Kellerman acknowledges, but he sees less sporting appeal because Crawford has already beaten him. Boots would offer an unanswered question, and delaying that fight could make the answer more difficult for Crawford.
“If you’ve been off for two years and you’re 40,” Kellerman said, “the worst kind of guy to have to fight is a twitchy, explosive offensive fighter.”
That is the danger in Max’s comeback scenario. Crawford’s timing and ability to read opponents have allowed him to take control of fights, but returning against a younger attacker after a long absence would ask more of him than returning against someone willing to give him room.
Kellerman would still pick Crawford until someone proves him wrong. Even so, he calls Ennis a “very dangerous” fight. His belief that Bud returns comes with a difficult consequence: the opponent who gives Crawford a reason to come back could become tougher to beat with every year he waits.
