Jaron Ennis is hoping to lure Terence Crawford out of retirement for a mega-fight, and world-renowned trainer Abel Sanchez has shared his thoughts on a potential battle between the two men.
Ennis captured the unified WBA and WBO super-welterweight world titles when he knocked out Xander Zayas back in June and the new poster boy of the 154lb division now looks set for a three-belt unification with IBF champion Josh Kelly before the end of 2026.
Despite his pursuit of the undisputed crown, Ennis has continuously called for a shot at 39-year-old Crawford, who retired from the sport as the first post-war three-weight undisputed champion last December.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Sanchez declared that Ennis must earn a fight with Crawford by defeating Vergil Ortiz Jr and Sebastian Fundora, but predicted that ‘The Towering Inferno’ would halt the unified titleholder if they were to meet.
“Terence doesn’t need to come back and do anything for these kids. He has done enough, he is obviously a Hall-of-Famer, he is a great fighter and Boots needs him, Terence doesn’t need him.
“What Boots should do is call out Vergil and see how he does with Vergil or Fundora. You have to earn Terence, Terence is the king.
“I would like to see Boots and Fundora or Boots and Vergil, then we can say that he deserves a shot at Terence. But, he gets knocked out by Fundora, and him [Ennis] and Vergil is a good fight.”
Crawford appears relatively uninterested in a return for now, but there is a feeling that the veteran could be tempted into a comeback if Ennis claims the undisputed throne and offers him the chance to get his hands on all four belts in a fourth division.
