Promoter Eddie Hearn Believes Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Can Defeat Terence Crawford

Promoter Hearn criticizes Crawford's performance against Madrimov, suggesting Ennis could capitalize

Crawford bout against Madrimov was held on Saturday night at BMO stadium /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Promoter Eddie Hearn has confidently asserted that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would defeat Terence Crawford based on Crawford’s recent performance against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov. Hearn criticized Crawford's display last Saturday night, indicating that Ennis, with his formidable skill set, could outshine Crawford if given the opportunity.

Hearn highlighted a missed chance for Ennis, who was ringside during the Crawford-Madrimov fight, to call out Crawford directly. Hearn noted that Ennis refrained from challenging Crawford because it would have been futile. The security presence was stringent, with personnel prepared to block anyone attempting to enter the ring. “He’s not going to call out. That’s not his style. It’s the big cringe,” Hearn remarked, implying that even if Ennis had wanted to issue a challenge, he likely would have been denied entry, thus avoiding potential humiliation. “If it was Canelo Alvarez, the treatment would have been vastly different," Hearn added, suggesting that a higher-profile fighter like Alvarez would have received a warm reception from the security staff.

Hearn Criticizes Crawford's Performance

Hearn argued that Crawford appeared slower and less impressive against Madrimov, describing him as a shadow of the fighter who dominated Errol Spence last year. "Terence Crawford isn’t going to fight Boots. Boots beats Terence Crawford on that performance," Hearn confidently stated. He proposed that Madrimov might have exposed Crawford’s weaknesses, suggesting the boxer’s reputation as unbeatable was more hype than reality. According to Hearn, Crawford’s record is not as impressive as it seems, and the fight against Madrimov unveiled vulnerabilities in his game.

Hearn's perspective is that Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is likely to avoid fighting Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) because the risk doesn’t align with Crawford's financial goals. "Crawford isn’t going to fight Jaron Ennis unless someone comes up with a load of money, and the fight is not big enough yet,” Hearn stated, emphasizing that the unbeaten Boots is not yet on Crawford's radar due to the financial implications.

Crawford's Potential Future Opponents

Hearn believes Crawford is more interested in pursuing a lucrative bout against Canelo Alvarez rather than risking a fight with Ennis. He pointed out that Crawford chose to fight Madrimov, viewing it as a guaranteed victory, which did not turn out as expected. Crawford's advancing age and diminishing performance levels make it unlikely that he would engage with Ennis unless financially incentivized to do so.

Although Hearn acknowledges that a Crawford-Ennis match would generate more excitement than the Madrimov fight, he is skeptical about its feasibility. Ennis, who Hearn regards as the best welterweight globally, aims to unify the division by winning all the belts. Meanwhile, Crawford's focus remains on potentially facing Alvarez, leaving little room for the matchup with Enn