Jaron Ennis continues to make a case for a fight with Terence Crawford, most recently by stopping David Avanesyan one round quicker than the pound-for-pound star could.
‘Boots’ was defending his IBF Welterweight World title in that scrap, gained when ‘Bud’ Crawford decided to move up in weight and challenge super-welterweight champ Israil Madrimov on August 3.
Despite those plans, Ennis keeps calling the former four-belt 147 titlist out.
Speaking on Pro Box TV, Hall of Fame fighter turned analyst Tim Bradley praised him for wanting ‘all the smoke’ with Crawford and said the former undisputed champion’s team was ‘making excuses,’
“When Crawford was the undisputed champion he could’ve fought against Ennis then. It seems to me that Crawford is being just like Spence was to him. When Crawford moved up to 147 Spence said get a belt. Crawford got a belt. He was like what’s the excuse now? ‘You ain’t fought anybody.’ You’re hearing the same excuses coming from the Crawford team, the way Spence did to him.”
Bradley is firmly in the camp that Ennis deserves the shot, completely disagreeing with anyone who says it’s too early in the career of 27-year-old from Philly.
“Is Boots Ennis ready for Crawford? Yes he’s ready for Crawford. I’m telling you right now. Because he’s athletic, he’s just as long and big. He can switch southpaw. He can do everything that Terence Crawford can do. But the only thing that I see that’s different is the mentality as far as how to control to a fight. Crawford’s the best at that.
However, Boots Ennis does it a lot quicker, he makes his moves a lot faster than Crawford, he’s a little bit more risk-taking. He can punch just as hard as Crawford … I’m hearing a lot of people down-talk this young man and say he’s not ready, well when’s he gonna be ready? What is it gonna take? He wants to fight Terence Crawford, put them in the ring.”
Bradley ended his analysis by saying without doubt that Crawford should be facing Ennis. Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh agrees, saying he would like to make the fight at 154 if ‘Boots’ is willing to move up.
