“Our conversation mainly focused on my upcoming bouts and general topics,” Ennis explained to YSM Sports Media. “We exchanged a few words on camera, and then continued our discussion privately. That was really all there was to it.”
Even though Crawford has hung up his gloves, the prospect of a showdown with Ennis remains highly intriguing. During his reign at welterweight, Crawford never crossed paths with ‘Boots,’ and the potential bout evaporated as he moved up to chase more lucrative opportunities in higher weight classes.
When questioned about whether their face-to-face chat made the matchup more likely, Ennis refused to rule out a comeback for Crawford.
“It’s hard to say, he could potentially end his retirement. Anything is possible,” Ennis remarked. “My plan is to sweep through this weight class, and as I’ve maintained, this is my territory. I am the premier fighter, and I will conquer this division opponent by opponent.”
Unless an astronomical payday is on the table, Crawford has virtually no motivation to accept such a challenge. Following his victory over Canelo Alvarez, he secured immense wealth for his family and successfully wrote the final defining chapter of his legendary run.
Stepping into the ring with Ennis carries significant physical risk for very little financial reward. A comeback would force Crawford to battle a youthful, motivated knockout artist who lacks the massive box-office appeal of Canelo. While a victory would simply reinforce Crawford’s legendary status, a defeat would tarnish the perfect farewell he has built.
By retiring at the absolute peak of his powers, Crawford placed his name alongside icons like Andre Ward and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Coming out of retirement just to elevate a rising champion into the mainstream spotlight would mean putting his legacy on the line for someone else’s gain—a trade-off that retired legends seldom agree to without an astronomical payout.
This unfavorable risk-to-reward ratio also clarifies why the clash never materialized in the welterweight ranks. Ennis was a formidable threat but lacked the profile to offer Crawford the kind of purses he could secure in other matchups. By the time Boots established himself as a prominent titleholder, Crawford had already migrated from the 147-pound limit.
Furthermore, the retired great has pointed out vulnerabilities that he feels he could take advantage of. He observed that Xander Zayas managed to connect cleanly on Ennis prior to the stoppage, which sparks curiosity about how a sharper, more seasoned executioner would capitalize on those very openings.
When letting his hands go, Boots has a tendency to get careless. Trusting his quick reactions, he often lingers in the pocket after throwing, allowing foes to strike back before his guard is re-established. Ultimately, Zayas did not have the seasoning or killer instinct required to turn those defensive lapses to his advantage.
Facing Crawford would be a vastly more perilous task. The veteran is masterly at analyzing his opponent’s movements, shifting angles, and exploiting recurring errors. While both combatants are versatile switch-hitters capable of throwing diverse sequences, Crawford’s history demonstrates a superior knack for adapting against world-class foes, whereas Boots tends to depend more on his natural quickness, physical traits, and instincts to dominate rounds.
This stylistic difference would elevate their clash beyond a simple battle of ambidextrous fighters. Ennis would be forced to maintain absolute focus and discipline throughout, rather than counting on his raw athleticism to bail him out of defensive lapses.
Furthermore, any actual fight talks would face a massive hurdle regarding the weight class. Crawford has asserted that he has no intention of dropping back down to 154 pounds after scaling up to 168 for his encounter with Canelo.
Meanwhile, Boots is still attempting to establish his dominance at junior middleweight. Should Crawford hold his ground, Ennis would have to jump to middleweight or beyond before even wrapping up his campaign at 154. This gives Crawford the leverage to set the parameters, forcing Ennis to test himself in unchartered weight territory.
Initially, the allure of a Crawford-Ennis showdown rested on a welterweight battle pitting the reigning king against his fiercest young threat. Staging this matchup years down the road at middleweight would alter the entire physical dynamic of the contest.
Nevertheless, linking himself to Crawford remains highly advantageous for Boots. While Ennis possesses world-class skills, he has yet to achieve the status of a major pay-per-view draw who can headline blockbuster cards without a highly recognizable dance partner.
The ongoing chatter keeps Ennis’s profile elevated while anticipation grows for more realistic matchups against the likes of Josh Kelly and Vergil Ortiz Jr. These are the realistic options on his near horizon, whereas Crawford remains an elusive dream fight contingent on astronomical funding that might never manifest.
Ennis also discussed the prospect of eventually climbing to middleweight and super middleweight in his remarks. He acknowledged that moving to 168 pounds could be in his future, though his current division at 154 pounds offers plenty of hazards to challenge those long-term goals.
Opponents like Sebastian Fundora, Ortiz, and Serhii Bohachuk are physically imposing and heavy-handed competitors who will truly test whether Boots’s chin and striking power translate to this weight class. Ruling the 154-pound landscape will prove to be a much tougher task than simply proclaiming it in a media interview.
Ultimately, the sole realistic way to entice Crawford back into the ring would be an extraordinary financial package backed by Riyadh Season. Short of an astronomical offer that defies standard boxing economics, Crawford is free to enjoy his retirement, secure in the knowledge that he has already amassed the wealth, titles, and legendary legacy that Ennis is still striving to achieve.
