Terence Crawford hung up his gloves overdue last year, deciding it was time for an undefeated professional campaign that spanned 257 rounds and five divisions.

After winning over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and becoming the undisputed champion of three weight classes, The 38-year-old retired at what many considered to be the perfect moment. He left a vacant place for an American star who occupies the top positions on most ranking lists.

The likes of Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney will still make their own claims, but stylistically they are more comparable to Floyd Mayweather than Crawford.

Another man who is highly tipped to be America’s next half-pound star and whose attributes can be compared to Crawford’s is Jaron Ennis. Or rather, a promoter Eddie Hearn has said his protégé is the man who will “replace Crawford”.

“I’ve seen all the top fighters. I truly believe Jaron Ennis is the number one prospect pound for pound… I think this guy is going to come through this division, move up to 160 pounds and be a three-weight world champion. I think he’s the guy to replace Terence Crawford. I think he’s that good.”

However, Crawford is not sold yet. I keep talking X he recently said that Ennis “can’t even tie my shoes.”

How he can’t even tie my shoes

— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) April 30, 2026

Ennis still has time on his side. Although the fight with Crawford fell through and “Bud” moved up to super welterweight while “Boots” won his aged welterweight belts, he now made it to 154 pounds himself. He is less than two months away from fighting for the unified title against Xander Zayas.

It’s a fight that Crawford supports Ennis winning, but he said he thinks another champion in this division, Sebastian Fundora, will beat the American.

Zayas’ fight is another chance for “Boots” to step out of his compatriot’s shadow and forge his own path. At 28 years aged, fans will be watching this journey for some time to come.

“They tell me that the talks on the unification of the delicate heavyweight division are not going very well. The amount the Kyrgyz fighter is asking for would be too high,” Sabatini wrote on the website X.

The timing is intriguing because Benavidez has been open about wanting Bivol next following his stoppage win over Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2. Benavidez sounded confident afterward that the fight could come quickly, even talking about how a victory over Bivol would impact his standing in the sport.

The problem is that Bivol still has things to do. His fight with Michael Eifert will take place on May 30, and after the first two fights there is still pressure for a third fight with Artur Beterbiev. Beterbiev has been waiting for the trilogy for over a year.

If money demands do become an issue, Benavidez could be stuck watching Bivol go in a different direction again.

Sabatini also noted that Bivol could risk losing his titles if he decides not to fight Benavidez. This part becomes essential because Benavidez holds the WBC 175 belt while Bivol controls the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Sanctioning authorities have recently shown little patience with champions delaying mandatory fights or opting for optional fights instead of unifications.

Benavidez has already pushed ideas like a 190-pound catchweight for Bivol. The suggestion seemed like an attempt to maintain some of the size advantage he had during the campaign at 168 and now at 175. Whether Bivol is interested in those terms is another question.

It doesn’t look as certain right now as it did for Benavidez after beating Zurdo. Bivol still has options, and Beterbiev’s trilogy will likely remain the biggest commercial fight.

Floyd Mayweather’s fighting future will soon become much brighter.

After not competing professionally since 2017 and not competing in exhibition fights since 2024, Mayweather seemed poised for a busy 2026, with three different fights announced.

He first lined up for an exhibition with fellow boxing legend Mike Tyson before it was confirmed on September 19 that a shock professional rematch with former foe Manny Pacquiao would take place on September 19.

The American didn’t stop there when it was revealed he had another fight scheduled with Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis, but over the past few weeks, doubts have swirled around each of those fights.

Initially, rumors about the fight with Tyson in Congo were to take place in April, but this date quickly passed, and various factors, including the injury of “Iron Mike”, raise doubts whether the meeting will be postponed.

Mayweather’s fight with Pacquiao also hit a few snags after the pair disagreed on whether it would be a professional fight or an exhibition contest, and the announced venue for The Sphere in Las Vegas is currently unavailable on the originally planned date.

However, it looks like Mayweather will at least take part in one of these three fights – he revealed on social media details of the press conference devoted to the battle with Zambidis.

PRESS CONFERENCE:
FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER VS.
IRON MIKE ZAMBIDIS

WHEN: Thursday, May 7

TIME:
14:30 PT – media arrival
15:00 PT – press conference begins

WHERE:
Mayweather Boxing Club
4020 Schiff drive
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 pic.twitter.com/Le5iXCBafz

— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) May 7, 2026

For now, it appears that Mayweather is focusing on the Zambidis exhibition, but Pacquiao’s team has previously stated that the American will be in breach of contract if he continues this fight, so it appears that these issues are still a long way from being resolved.