Terence Crawford Sets the Record Straight on Jaron 'Boots' Ennis Matchup and Boxing Return

Terence Crawford commented on Jaron 'Boots' Ennis's spectacular victory over Xander Zayas, and his reaction was a mixture of praise and a firm reminder of his own superiority.

The retired five-division boxing world champion watched as Ennis captured the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Zayas at the Barclays Center, but he was quick to downplay any suggestion that this changes his legacy.

Instead of offering a direct congratulations, Crawford first took to social media with a cryptic message on his X account:

Ima keep my comments to myself, but yall get it I hope.

— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) June 28, 2026

"Ima keep my comments to myself, but yall get it I hope," Crawford posted, a clear sign that he saw the same openings in Ennis's game that he believes he would have exploited had they ever fought.

Many commenters online believed the timing of Crawford's post was deliberate, coming just after Ennis' victory over Zayas.

Crawford's Competitive Nature

Crawford later elaborated on his thoughts on "The Porter Way" podcast, explaining to hosts Sean Porter, Anthony Brenagh, and Sean Zittel whether or not his post on X was about Ennis' performance (via The PorterWay Podcast on YouTube):

https://www.youtube.com/live/Pt8mmJRhX84?si=znnOBfTJauQ04lfd

While he did half-admit to commenting on Ennis' performance, he also insisted that it was not meant to be misconstrued as a challenge.

"Of course, everybody knows the competitive nature in myself, but I don't worry about coming back to prove anything," he revealed.

He also gave Boots multiple compliments, saying, "To credit Boots, he's a tremendous talent, and he's no walk in the park for no one. He's a threat to anyone that he steps foot in the ring with... he's got tremendous speed, he's got great power, defense, reflexes, all that."

Crawford, however, did comment on one thing he believes "Boots" lacks, which is ring IQ.

"I'm 10 steps ahead of him in smarts," Crawford stated, breaking down exactly why he believes a hypothetical fight would have been one-sided. "I can see the holes in his game and I can see the openings and opportunities that I'll have."

"Xander couldn't capitalize because his speed wasn't there. I will be able to capitalize," he continued. "When I capitalize, everybody knows I'm probably one of the best counter punchers there ever was."

Despite the detailed breakdown of how he would dismantle the new unified champion, Crawford repeatedly insisted that his career is over and he has no intention of returning to the ring. This has been a point of contention for critics who suggest he retired to avoid the rising star, a claim that visibly irritates the undefeated legend.

"When you say, 'Oh, he would knock Terence Crawford out,' or 'Terence Crawford ducked him,' it p- me off sometimes," he admitted.

Respect Remains Between the Two

For his part, Ennis spoke at the post-fight press conference, dismissing Crawford's post on X as the words of a retired fighter who is no longer relevant to his journey (via Fight Hub TV on YouTube):

"We ain't worried about them retired fighters," Boots stated.

"Leave Terence alone. Let him enjoy his family," he added, making it clear his focus is on unifying the 154-pound division.

Ennis's victory, where he dropped Zayas three times and showcased a durable chin, has solidified his status as a pound-for-pound force and the new face of the division.

Crawford, who retired after defeating Canelo Alvarez, remains firm in his belief that he is the superior fighter, but he is also wise enough to pass the torch.

"I'm retired. I'm happily retired. It's Boots' era. I pray and hope he takes it to the extreme," Crawford said, seemingly shutting the door on any talk of returning to fight against Ennis.

"I pray for nothing but success for him, him and his family," he said.

Ultimately, "Bud" understands that conversations about hypothetical intergenerational matchups are what define boxing's fanbase and fuel the sport.

"It's all about competitiveness. And people want to see how this generation would do with the previous generation. The same way with people comparing me to Floyd [Mayweather]. We'll never fight, you know. So I wish him nothing but the best. I want to see him succeed," he continued.

"[I'm] 38 years old, about to be 39. I don't have nothing to prove," he stated. "I hope that Jaron has half the career that I had, you know, or surpasses me. If he surpasses me, I'm going to be rooting for him, you know. I'm going to be giving him his props. I'm not the type of fighter that, you know, wants to see him fail. I want to see him succeed. I want to congratulate him. I want to see him make it to the Hall of Fame and congratulate him."

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This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 2:14 AM.