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Tim Bradley Says a Returning Crawford Would Wreck Boots Ennis

Bradley thinks a 42-0 Crawford handles the 36-0 Ennis with ease — but the retired Omaha southpaw has already turned down bigger money.

By FightSplit Editorial Team · Published Aug 11, 2026

Terence Crawford in the ring during a championship bout
FightSplit

Terence Crawford is 42-0 with 31 knockouts and, as far as he's told anyone, done fighting. That hasn't stopped the fan chatter linking the retired Omaha southpaw to Jaron 'Boots' Ennis — and now Tim Bradley has weighed in, arguing a returning Crawford would beat the 36-0 WBA/WBO champion comfortably.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bradley dismissed the idea that Ennis would hand Crawford his first career loss. He said Crawford has never moved on someone's trash talk, and framed any potential fight as Bud telling Boots to bulk up first. Bradley's bottom line, in his own colorful terms, was that Crawford would stop Ennis — not just win, but do damage.

The Weight Question

The two were once penciled in at welterweight before Crawford went the other direction entirely. He climbed to super-welterweight, then all the way to super-middleweight for his career-defining decision win over Canelo Alvarez, whose 63-2-2 record now carries a second loss. Crawford hung up the gloves months later, at 38, with a perfect ledger intact.

Ennis, meanwhile, inherited the IBF welterweight belt Crawford vacated and got busy. He unified against WBA titlist Eimantas Stanionis, then moved to 154, scored a first-round knockout on debut, and blitzed Xander Zayas inside seven rounds in June for the WBA and WBO straps. That's 32 knockouts in 36 fights — a finish rate north of 88 percent.

Why It Probably Stays Hypothetical

Bradley isn't dismissing Ennis as a talent — he called him the next one up — but he sees a gap in seasoning that Crawford would exploit. And the veteran's own actions back the retirement talk. If money were the motivator, a Canelo rematch was there for the taking, and Crawford turned it down.

So this remains a conversation, not a contract. Ennis has the belts and the momentum; Crawford has the résumé and, apparently, the peace of mind to stay retired. Until Bud signs something, Bradley's prediction is exactly that — a prediction.

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