While Chris Algieri and Dan Canobbio favor Terence Crawford, Paulie Malignaggi believes Jaron Ennis has reached a level that would overwhelm the former undisputed champion
Paulie Malignaggi has broken with Chris Algieri and Dan Canobbio over one of boxing’s biggest fantasy fights, backing Jaron Ennis to beat Terence Crawford. The former world champion believes Ennis has developed into a more difficult assignment than the opponents Crawford defeated during the closing years of his career.
“I think Ennis is probably higher level than the [Errol] Spence that he fought and the [Israil] Madrimov that he fought and the Canelo that he fought. So, you know, there might be a little bit too much biting off more than you can chew at the age Crawford is at, you know, but I don’t see Crawford coming back to fight Ennis. I’ll be honest with you,” said Malignaggi on his channel
Instead of focusing on Crawford, Malignaggi believes Ennis should stay active against the top names currently competing at junior middleweight.
“I think the conversation has to be with Virgil Ortiz. But the problem is Ortiz has these contract issues with Golden Boy that don’t seem to be getting resolved anytime soon. I think in the meantime, the easiest fight to probably make is the Josh Kelly fight.”
Malignaggi said that Kelly would represent a logical unification fight before Ennis pursues a contest with unified champion Sebastian Fundora, a matchup he described as a genuine super fight because of Fundora’s awkward style and continued improvement.
Crawford, 38, has not announced his next move since defeating Canelo Alvarez, while Ennis has continued building momentum following his victory over Zayas. Although Algieri and Canobbio favored Crawford in the hypothetical matchup, Malignaggi believes Ennis’ current form and Crawford’s age make it a far more dangerous fight than many are giving the Philadelphia star credit for.
