Writer Keith Idec put together five Terence Crawford comeback matchups that look purely like fantasy matchmaking instead of sound business. Jaron EnnisCanelo Alvarez, Vergil Ortiz, Sebastian Fundora, plus Ryan provide plenty of social media talk. None of them justifies burning fifty million dollars on an aging fighter who treats entertainment like a crime.

Crawford turned 39 years old today. Loyalists point to his perfect record alongside his decision over Canelo. Smart money looks at the reality inside the ropes. Israil Madrimov exposed Crawford by forcing him into a grueling struggle many ringside observers scored for the Uzbek.

Against Canelo, Crawford went into survival mode. He flicked a safety jab, grabbed constantly, running out the clock to grab a dull points verdict. Fans watching that sleep-inducing clinic realized Crawford has zero interest in taking risks. Expecting a promoter to shell out colossal guarantees for twelve rounds of clutching represents pure delusion.

Turki Alalshikh wants destructive knockouts. Crawford delivers safety-first track meets. If Canelo steps into the ring for an elite event, David Benavidez brings genuine violence. Ennis brings explosive youth, savage offensive combinations, and electric finishing ability. Matching either puncher against Canelo delivers actual value for paying customers. Crawford simply drains energy out of the building.

The names on Idec’s roster crumble under financial inspection. Ennis, along with Ortiz, possesses the firepower to batter a 39-year-old coming off the sofa. Neither young champion commands pay-per-view revenue. Ryan generates massive public attention, yet Crawford campaigned at 168 pounds while Ryan operates at welterweight.

Making that weight match makes zero sense. Fundora brings awkward height without moving the needle at the box office.

Crawford can stay retired in Omaha counting his career earnings. Demanding king-size ransoms for spoiling tactics will not fly anymore. Promoters saw the Madrimov scare, watched the lifeless Canelo match, then realized Crawford offers terrible returns.

Fantasy lists are cheap to type up. Getting an investor to bankroll another dull Crawford clinic is an impossible sell.

Zuffa Boxing promoter Dana White believes Terence Crawford will end his retirement, but remains unsure whether he would choose to face Ryan Garcia.

The 38-year-old announced his exit from the sport last December, calling time on a scintillating career that saw him become a three-division undisputed king.

He did so by moving up two weight classes and dethroning Canelo Alvarezwho produced an impressive performance but ultimately lost their super-middleweight encounter by unanimous decision.

But while Crawford cemented his greatness by moving up to 168lbs, his frame, even now, is much better suited to the 147lb and 154lb divisions.

He has therefore been linked to fights with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and, more recently, Garcia, who retained his WBC world welterweight title with a second-round finish over Conor Benn earlier this month.

It then came as a surprise when The Ring’s Mike Coppinger reported that a clash between Garcia and Crawford, who has expressed his own bewildermentis being considered as a replacement for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua.

The two heavyweights are set to collide at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11 but, due to issues behind the scenes, their long-awaited showdown now appears to be in jeopardy.

While addressing the Garcia rumour at a Zuffa press conference, though, White admitted he is unsure that Crawford would make such a speedy return.

“I don’t know if that’s the fight Crawford would come back for. There’s a lot of options out there, obviously for Ryan. The question is: what is the fight that Crawford would come back for?

“I think there’s a fight out there that Crawford would come back for, [but] I don’t know if Ryan’s it.”

Dana White CLEARS UP Crawford vs Garcia rumors!!! 💨 🔥

“I don’t know if that’s the fight Crawford would come back for. There’s a lot of options out there obviously for Ryan, the question is what is the fight that Crawford would come back for!”- Dana White pic.twitter.com/JDwDK9u8w4

— Fight Hub TV (@FightHubTV) September 27, 2026

While White has claimed to have been involved in negotiations, it remains to be seen – should the fight actually take place, that is – whether he will have any promotional participation in Fury-Joshua.

Gervonta Davis says he would share a card with Naoya Inouebut he will not fight him. He points to the weight difference. They compete 13 pounds apart: Tank could come down five pounds to 130, and Inoue could move up eight. Both would have to take a risk, but the fight is possible if they want it.

“I’ll fight on a card with him, but not [against] him. It’s weight classes for a reason. Let him be great,” said Tank Davis on his MoneyTwofly account on September 27 and then deleted.

Davis floating a joint event forces the question of billing: where would Tank actually fight on that card? Sticking Davis into an undercard slot below Inoue reduces him to a fading attraction riding another champion’s coattails. Inoue cleaned out divisions and chased every meaningful belt across multiple weight classes.

Davis spent years squatting on secondary titles at lightweight while sidestepping elite threats. Place both men on the same bill, and the difference in ambition becomes impossible to ignore. He has never stepped through the ropes as an underdog. Every matchup has been against opposition he was expected to beat, which is another reason why his popularity has gone downhill since 2023.

Dropping to 130 pounds to fight Inoue would ask something of Tank that his recent schedule hasn’t: make the weight, take a serious risk, and face a fighter who can hurt him. Win or lose, that is the kind of fight that would get people talking about Davis for what he does in the ring again.

Sharing Inoue’s card offers Tank an easier deal. He gets the crowd, the international attention, and a big payday without having to fight Inoue. If Tank then takes a soft opponent in the co-feature, he gets the benefit of Inoue’s event while avoiding the challenge that made the idea interesting in the first place.