IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis asks whether Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford will want to face him after he faces Errol Spence in their rematch in the first half 2024.
Crawford & his trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre both sounded bitter, complaining about the IBF stripping them of the 147-lb title. In BoMac’s case, he made it clear that Crawford did not intend to fight Ennis, saying that he “brings nothing to the table,” meaning that they didn’t feel it was worth taking on the young talent.
BoMac added that Crawford had gotten what he wanted, winning the undisputed welterweight championship, holding it for a minute, and it doesn’t matter now that he no longer holds it.
He just wanted to win it, albeit against a weight-drained and inactive Spence, who hadn’t fought in 17 months and had been rumored to have started camp badly overweight in the 200 lb range.
They’d rather fight whoever they can get, which obviously won’t be Canelo Alvarez. What BoMac & Terence will find out is that there aren’t any better options for them in terms of a payday than a fight with BoMac.
Fighting the inactive, forgotten 35-year-old former unified welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman would be worthless because he’s no longer relevant, throwing the popularity that he once had by fighting just three times in the last six years.
Crawford vs. Thurman would be a PPV disaster for any promoter or network that would be foolish enough to stage that albatross. If this were 2016, Crawford-Thurman would be a decent little scrap, but not now.
Thurman has had too many years of inactivity, sitting on the couch, not fighting, and younger boxing fans have no clue who the old guy is. A fight between Crawford & Thurman would be the equivalent of an old-timers fight, and fans would stay away in droves.
The young gun, 26-year-old Boots (31-0, 28 KOs), is offering the aging 36-year-old Omaha, Nebraska native Crawford a chance to come win back his IBF 147-lb title because he’s all broken up about being stripped of his belt by the International Boxing Federation for failing to negotiate a fight with him.
Boots Ennis offers Crawford to fight him
“It was out of my hands. There was nothing that I could do. I couldn’t say yes or no. They just elevated me up,” said Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to YSM Sports Media about him being elevated to new IBF welterweight champion following the stripping of Terence Crawford.
“Is he willing to fight me after he faces Errol Spence?” said Boots Ennis about Crawford. “That’s the fight that I want. I’ve wanted that fight. I wanted Spence. I don’t know what Spence is doing, if he’s staying at 147 or 154, but those are the two main guys I want. Bud and Spence. Everyone knows that. I’m going to keep saying that until I get my opportunity,’ said Ennis.
To answer Boots Ennis’ question on whether Crawford is willing to fight him after his rematch with the car crash-wrecked Spence, I’d say that’s a big no. Crawford WON’T fight him and will likely face one of these guys:
- Keith Thurman – the Forgotten Man
- Tim Tszyu – Not well known in U.S
- Chris Eubank Jr – A career underachiever
“This is my time, and my time is now. I feel like I’m the best fighter in the world, and to be able to show my skills and prove it and shut these guys up.
“I feel like I got to keep winning and keep making noise,” said Boots Ennis when asked what he needs to do to get fights against the likes of Crawford & Spence. “Like I said. Keep stepping on these guys. They got to see me. I got a belt now.
Ennis challenges Terence to get his IBF belt back
“Come get your belt back if you think you’re the best in the world,” said Boots in a message to Crawford.
Terence isn’t going to mess with Ennis because he obviously knows the risk involved in taking on this young talent, as he would have to take headshots in a fight against him that he’s never had to deal with in his career. As we saw in Crawford’s fight with Egidijus Kavaliauskas, his punch resistance isn’t that great.
“That’s not the way I wanted to win the belt. I wanted to take it from him,” Boots continued about his preferring to fight Crawford for the IBF 147-lb belt, but that wasn’t going to happen because he was stuck in a rematch with Errol Spence Jr. for the first half of 2024.
“I’ve been mandatory for two years. The IBF did its job. There was nothing I could do. It was out of my hands. Everyone knows I’ve been wanting to fight for that world title and even all the belts. I’ve been wanting Bud. I’ve been wanting Spence.
“I’ve wanted all the top guys. All I’ve wanted to fight is all the top guys. Nobody has wanted to step in the ring with me. It’s not my fault. I’m trying. I don’t know what else to do,” said Ennis.
