It’s put up or shut up time as WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford takes on IBF champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Both undefeated champions, Crawford 40-0 and Ennis 31-0, would be a dynamite fight for all boxing fans. Spence undergoing eye surgery saved him from another beating by Crawford.
Spence should have been with Ennis in an elimination fight to see who would fight Crawford. Crawford talks about not only moving up to super welterweight but also super middleweight against Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, 60-2-2.
In September, Alvarez scored an easy victory over super welterweight champion Jermell ‘Iron Man’ Charlo, 35-2-1. He needs to fight David Benavidez and stop fighting lighter and heavier opponents.
Charlo has not defended his super welterweight titles since May 2022, stopping Brian ‘El Boxi’ Castano, 17-1-2, with whom he drew in 2021. Australian Tim ‘The Soul Taker’ Tszyu, 24-0, fought three times in 2023.
He first won the WBO interim super welterweight title, stopping Tony ‘Super Bad’ Harrison, 29-4-1, in March. Then in June he knocked out Carlos ‘Chema’ Ocampo, 35-3, and in October, the WBO super welterweight title stopped Castaño.
Will Crawford move up and face Tszyu? He hasn’t fought since he stopped Spence in July. At 36 years old, he seeks to end his career with two or three more fights. Fighting only once a year for the last six years when he must defend his title twice a year, he is lucky to still be champion.
Ennis fought twice in 2023, the first in January, winning the IBF interim title and twelve rounds over Ukrainian Karen Chukhadzhian, 21-1, who came for a paycheck throughout the fight.
Then in July, Ennis defended his title, knocking out Roiman ‘Flaco d Oro’ Villa, 26-1, in ten rounds. He was recently elevated to the IBF championship, being the ‘most avoided’ in his division.
He has been offered a contract by Eddie Hearns Matchroom Boxing, but according to his father and trainer ‘Bozy’ Ennis, it is doubtful that will happen at the moment, in my recent phone call with him.
He said WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis, 14-0, rejected them. He hasn’t fought since April 2022, when he won a split decision over Russian Radzhab ‘No Mercy’ Butaev, 14-0. He is rumored to have a fight coming up, but it won’t be against Ennis.
At 26, Ennis, who is orthodox but has fought entire fights with southpaw and southpaw Crawford at age 36, is waiting. Ennis has the youth and Crawford has more experience. Will Crawford wait for Spence to recover? Move up to super welterweight or fight Ennis?
