Tim Bradley has taken a lot of heat for scolding unbeaten welterweight star Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for chasing a fight against former undisputed champ Terence Crawford.
Boxing expert Bradley doesn’t like that Boots Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) is “chasing” a fight against the unbeaten Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), and he thinks he should make a name for himself without fighting Terence, who he claims is in a different pay scale.
Bradley & Gatekeeping in Boxing
Tim’s stance about not wanting talented younger fighters to face the current stars is a troubling thing we’re seeing in the sport, where ex-fighters serve the role of gatekeepers or guardians, arguing against fights from taking place.
Bradley adopts the role of a protector, dictating who is worthy or not to face the top fighters in the sport. What this does is it prevents young talents from emerging. Some would argue that Crawford was a victim of this during his career, and now Bradley wants Ennis to be the next stifled one.
You don’t see it in other sports like the NFL and NBA, where teams are being protected from playing others.
“Why is he chasing Crawford? Don’t chase the bag? Make a name for yourself,” said Tim Bradley to the media criticizing Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for wanting to fight WBA/WBC/WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford.
“He [Boots Ennis] just wants to go straight to the top. Bro, Crawford is on another level, a different pay scale. Terence is in the penthouse. This kid is at the C-level. Terence is that guy. $10-15 million.”
Bradley doesn’t say anything about Crawford chasing Canelo Alvarez, who he’s pushing hard to fight next despite never having competed at 168. Why isn’t Bradley painting Crawford with the same brush as Boots?
The Bigger Picture: Business vs. Sport
Ennis sees a chance to secure a career-defining fight against the pound-for-pound king. Bradley, however, seems to want a more gradual climb and lucrative paydays over a competitive legacy.
Bradley also frames the fight as a mismatch, saying “Crawford is on another level” in both skills and pay grade. While Crawford is definitely a top-level fighter, labeling Ennis as “C-level” negates his undefeated record and the overall ability that he’s shown during his short career.
