If anyone can challenge Terence Bud Crawford’s dominance, it’s Jaron 'Boots' Ennis — and promoter Eddie Hearn isn’t shy about saying it! Terence Crawford firmly established himself as the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world after his blockbuster win against Canelo Alvarez. But here’s where it gets controversial: Eddie Hearn, the renowned Matchroom Boxing promoter, believes there is a fighter poised to dethrone Crawford — his own unbeaten star, Jaron "Boots" Ennis.
In a recent conversation just ahead of Ennis’s big fight against Uisma Lima this Saturday in Philadelphia, Hearn opened up about the exciting possibilities surrounding Boots, who currently holds an immaculate 34-0 record with 30 knockouts. This fight is particularly important because it marks Boots's first move up in weight to 154 pounds, stepping into the junior middleweight division for an interim world title.
But don’t get it twisted; this fight is just the beginning. Hearn sees Ennis not only mastering the 154-pound class but potentially ascending even further to 160 and eventually 168 pounds. "I genuinely believe Boots has what it takes to be the sport's pound-for-pound king for the next four to six years," Hearn said. He emphasized Boots’s youth—he’s a full decade younger than Crawford—and his hunger to take on all challengers, mentioning big names like Virgil Ortiz, Sebastian Fundora, and Bakhram Murtazaliev as potential opponents within this weight category.
Fans have been dreaming about a showdown between Crawford and Ennis for years. When asked if such a fight is even on the horizon, Hearn stressed respect for Crawford’s achievements as a generational talent, but stood firm on his belief that Ennis is the man best suited to topple him. "Terence has done incredible things, no doubt. But if anyone can beat him, I truly believe it’s Boots," Hearn declared.
Money talks in boxing, and Crawford’s recent mega payday means that Ennis’s team has to build his profile not just through wins but by generating the financial incentive that would convince Crawford to agree to a fight. Hearn understands this perfectly and is patiently crafting Ennis’s path to stardom to position him as Crawford's most lucrative—and thus most difficult to ignore—opponent.
He challenged skeptics to consider who else could make for a more electrifying matchup than Ennis once he conquers this Saturday’s bout and beats the likes of Ortiz or Fundora. "Think about it — after those wins, what fight could fans possibly want to see more than Terence Crawford versus Jaron 'Boots' Ennis? That could be one of the all-time legendary battles."
And Hearn’s parting words left no room for doubt: "We have the guy who can beat the champ. Crawford is the man right now, and we respect that, but if he’s looking for a true challenge—Boots is coming!"
Now here’s the question for boxing fans and analysts: Is Hearn right to put this much faith in Ennis as Crawford’s potential conqueror, or is he building a hype train that may never reach its destination? Could this be the next great rivalry in boxing, or just another promoter’s dream? The ring awaits your verdict—voice your thoughts below!
