Retired undisputed champion Terence Crawford has reaffirmed his decision to stay away from the ring, even as he offers a sharp technical assessment of Jaron Ennis. Following the younger fighter’s victory on Saturday, June 27, 2026, Terence Crawford appeared on “The Porter Way” podcast to discuss the current state of the 154-pound division and address persistent rumors about a potential comeback.
The Omaha legend praised the physical gifts of Jaron “Boots” Ennis but maintained that a significant gap in ring intelligence remains between them. “I’m 10 steps ahead of him in smarts,” Terence Crawford told former rival Shawn Porter during the broadcast.
Crawford breaks down technical gaps in Jaron Ennis’s Brooklyn performance
While he acknowledged Jaron Ennis is a “tremendous talent” with elite speed and power, he insisted that the technical openings visible in recent performances would be fatal against a counter-puncher of his own caliber.
The analysis from Terence Crawford followed Jaron Ennis’s dominant performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. On Saturday, Jaron Ennis secured a seventh-round stoppage victory over Xander Zayas, a result that saw him emerge as the newly crowned WBA and WBO junior-middleweight champion.
But even as the crowd cheered the stoppage, Terence Crawford was busy identifying “holes” in the young champion’s game that a veteran could exploit.
Terence Crawford noted that the shots Xander Zayas landed were opportunities that a faster, sharper fighter would have used to end the night. He argued that Jaron Ennis would get “in trouble” by coming straight forward against a tactician looking to trade shot-for-shot. “I can see the holes in his game and I can see the openings and opportunities that I’ll have because, A, I feel like I punch harder than Xander. B, I’m way sharper than Xander. C, I’m way faster than Xander,” Crawford explained.
Identifying openings Xander Zayas couldn’t exploit
He further elaborated, “So the shots that Xander was hitting him with, and the shots that Xander couldn’t capitalize because his speed wasn’t there, I will be able to capitalize.” For Crawford, his ability as a counter-puncher would have made a decisive difference. “When I capitalize, everybody knows I’m probably one of the best counter punchers there ever was,” he added.
This level of astute ring generalship is what defined Terence Crawford’s own career, during which he became the first male boxer to be undisputed in three weight classes.
Crawford dismisses comeback rumors, embraces retirement
The debate over a Crawford-Ennis clash is not new. It intensified after Terence Crawford was stripped of his IBF welterweight strap for not defending it against Jaron Ennis, who was then his mandatory challenger. However, the retired champion dismissed the idea that he ever avoided the fight, stating definitively that claims he retired because of the Philadelphia native sometimes “pisses me off.”
“Never. Never. I’m retired. I’m happily retired,” Crawford asserted on the podcast. He went on to express well wishes for Ennis, indicating a passing of the torch. “It’s Boots’ era. I pray and hope that he takes it to the extreme. I pray for nothing but success for him and his family. I wish him nothing but the best,” he added.
The enduring comparison to boxing legends
Crawford drew parallels between his situation and historical boxing comparisons. “It’s all about competitiveness. People want to see this generation, how would they do with the previous generation, the same way with people comparing me to Floyd,” he explained, referring to Floyd Mayweather Jr. He understands the natural human inclination to compare eras, but also the reality that some generational matchups simply won’t happen.
His retirement in December 2025 came “on his own terms,” with Crawford exiting the sport undefeated at 42-0, boasting 31 knockouts. He cemented his legacy by becoming the first male boxer in the four-belt era to capture undisputed championships in two and three divisions.
Ennis focuses on undisputed junior-middleweight reign
With Terence Crawford officially on the sidelines, Jaron Ennis has turned his sights toward consolidating power at 154 pounds. He specifically called for a bout with Vergil Ortiz Jr., signaling his intent to pursue the remaining belts in the weight class. “This weight division is mine,” Jaron Ennis declared in his post-fight press conference, emphasizing his desire to become an undisputed champion in his own right.
His recent victory over Xander Zayas, a dominant seventh-round stoppage at Barclays Center, underscored his ambition. Ennis was promoted to champion when Crawford was stripped of his IBF welterweight belt, and he has since been on a clear trajectory upwards.
Current landscape and future opponents
Jaron Ennis currently holds an undefeated professional record of 36-0 with 32 knockouts and one no-contest. Like Crawford, he’s a natural switch-hitter, capable of fighting from both orthodox and southpaw stances, making him a complex challenge for any opponent. This ability to adapt and change stance mid-fight mirrors the versatility that made Crawford such an anomaly in his own career.
His father and trainer, Derrick “Bozy” Ennis Sr., has played a pivotal role in shaping his career, stemming from a boxing family. Ennis is renowned for his exceptional speed, power, and technical prowess, with an impressive 90% knockout ratio.
Crawford’s historic boxing achievements
Terence Crawford’s career is a benchmark for any fighter hoping to achieve undisputed status. He retired as the undisputed super-middleweight champion, having defeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for that title in September 2025. That win made him the first male boxer to become undisputed in three weight classes, a feat that will be incredibly difficult to match.
He had previously defeated Errol Spence Jr. in 2023 to unify four 147-pound titles at welterweight. Before that, he unified all four major belts at light welterweight. His resume also includes an additional triumph over Israel Madrimov for the WBA junior-middleweight belt.
A career without a defeat
Crawford boasts an unblemished professional record of 42-0 with 31 knockouts. Throughout his 17-year career, he was never knocked down, and not a single judge ever scored a fight against him. This impeccable record underscores the confidence with which he judges other fighters, including Jaron Ennis.
ESPN and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) recognized his dominance, naming him Fighter of the Year multiple times. He was in the ring before the Shakur Stevenson-Teofimo Lopez bout in January 2026, a reminder of his continued presence within the sport, even in retirement.
Generational shift and the path ahead
The dynamic between the two fighters represents a classic generational shift in boxing. While one analyzes from a position of historical mastery, the other is busy building his own narrative through activity and title acquisitions. As the heavyweight division anticipates future blockbusters, the lighter weight classes are seeing their own shifts in power.
Terence Crawford’s final words on the matter were of encouragement mixed with the confidence of a man who left at the top. He promised to be “rooting” for Jaron Ennis if the young champion manages to surpass his legacy, saying, “I hope that Jaron has half of the career that I had, or surpasses me. If he surpasses me, I’m gonna be rooting for him.”
For now, the “10 steps” Crawford mentioned remain a theoretical barrier that Jaron Ennis intends to bridge through his performances against the division’s current crop of titleholders. Ennis’s ambition to become undisputed in the junior-middleweight division is a clear goal, one that will undoubtedly shape the boxing landscape in the coming months and years.
