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