Jaron Ennis has made it known that he wants a fight against Terence Crawford.
Ennis was the mandatory challenger for Crawford’s IBF welterweight title in 2023, but due to ‘Bud’ having a contracted rematch with Errol Spence, it meant a fight against ‘Boots’ couldn’t happen.
Crawford was subsequently stripped of his title and Ennis was elevated from interim champion to full champion, affirming himself as one of the best 147lb fighters on the planet.
‘Bud’ has since moved up to 154lbs, where he defeated Israil Madrimov to win the WBA super-welterweight title, but that hasn’t stopped the clamour for a showdown between Crawford and Ennis.
Undefeated welterweight contender Tahmir Smalls has spent many years sparring with Ennis, and he told Fighthype that ‘Bud’ offers nothing ‘Boots’ hasn’t seen before.
“I’m around him every day so I know who he wants. He wants all the belts, and at the same time he wants to give the people what they’re asking for, you want him to fight Crawford, he feels the same way in his heart.
“Crawford is 37, about to be 38. Boots is 27. Crawford is trying to get the ‘get outta here money.’ He is trying to get the paydays he’s been getting and you’ve got to respect it. I’m not mad at the route he’s taking but the people want to see that fight. I respect his decision because it is a smart move on his end.
“There’s so much he’s got to be wary off, and I’m not saying Crawford is a slouch or nothing like that, but he doesn’t have anything that I haven’t seen Boots overcome before. I think Boots takes him into deep waters in the later rounds and that’s where it gets wary for the older guy maybe.”
Smalls also explained what he thinks makes Ennis so good.
“We’ve been sparring the last 10 years. Back when he was getting ready for the Junior Olympics we were working. You need to stay away from that guy, stay away from me too. His biggest asset in boxing is his IQ, he’s so smart. He knows what he’s going to do before he does it, and he’ll know what you’re going to do before you do it.”
While Ennis may want a showdown with Crawford, ‘Bud’ still has his sights set on a match-up with Canelo Alvarez, and an undefeated super-middleweight contender has warned Canelo that Crawford hit him harder than heavyweights.
