Future unclear for Douro’s Cody Crowley
Pugilist has turned down several offers to fight for the IBF’s world welterweight championship
It’s been more than a year since Cody Crowley last entered the ring and it’s not clear when he’ll box again.
Ringtv.com has reported that Crowley turned down several offers to fight for the International Boxing Federation’s world welterweight championship, including what would have been by far his biggest payday. The Douro native, who sports a 22-0 record with nine knockouts, is the top-rated contender by the IBF and the World Boxing Council and the mandatory contender for IBF champion Jaron (Boots) Ennis and WBC interim champion Mario Barrios.
Ennis, regarded as one of boxing’s top rising stars, with a 31-0 record and 28 knockouts, recently signed with Matchroom Boxing, run by promoter Eddie Hearns. It surprised many in the industry as Premier Boxing Champions, where Crowley is signed for three more bouts, is where most of the top welterweights are contracted.
Ennis’s father and trainer Derek (Bozy) Ennis told Ring’s Joseph Santoliquito one of the reasons they signed with Hearns is they were tired of being inactive, and blamed failed negotiations to get Crowley in the ring for much of it.
Citing sources, Ring reports that last fall Crowley turned down several offers to fight Ennis for the title in the Showtime David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade Pay-Per-View card last Nov. 25 in Las Vegas. The Ring sources said Crowley rejected the initial $500,000 (U.S.) offer, which would have been a careerhigh purse by more than double, and he turned down a $650,000 verbal offer, countering with requests for $750,000 and then $1 million. The counter offers were rejected, according to Ring Magazine.
The boxing landscape shifted dramatically when Showtime announced it was getting out of the boxing business at the end of 2023 and PBC has since struck a deal with Amazon’s Prime streaming service. It’s believed purses have taken a hit with the changes. Such a payday for Crowley no longer appears to be on the table.
Ring suggests Ennis would prefer to bypass Crowley for other opportunities and reports Hearns offered Crowley $250,000 to be Ennis’s first opponent under Matchroom Boxing.
Boxing Scene reported in February the IBF mandated Ennis fight Crowley by March 28 or face losing his title and gave him 30 days as of Jan. 31 to open up purse bids for a fight with Crowley. That deadline came and went with no confirmation of a bout.
The WBC bypassed Crowley to set up a match between Barrios and former champion Yordenis Ugas for its interim title last year, which Barrios won. Barrios is now signed to defend his title against former champion Keith Thurman.
Crowley has not responded to The Examiner’s multiple phone calls, text messages and emails in recent weeks seeking comment.
His manager Steve Nelson told the Examiner he has no comment on Crowley at this time. Crowley’s trainer, Ibn Cason, said there are things in the works but didn’t elaborate. A message left for Tim Grant of TGB Promotions, which promotes PBC bouts, was not returned.
In recent months, Crowley has posted mixed messages on his social media.
In January, he posted, “Sometimes you have to lose everything to realize what you had. In 2024 I will be world champion.”
That was followed later by a post, which has since been taken down, stating, “I officially retire from professional boxing, the most corrupt sport in the world. No matter how much I give, I can’t even get the same access as the paying fans.”
Earlier this month, he posted he was officially in training camp but with no details about who or when he was fighting.
Crowley last fought on March 25, 2023, when he earned a 12-round majority-decision over Abel Ramos in his toughest fight to date. He has fought only four fights since Sept. 26, 2020.