“He Might Be in Trouble”: Terence Crawford’s Unexpected Run In With Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Draws Mixed Response

After Madrimov, is it going to be Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis or Canelo Alvarez for Terence Crawford? The questions seem to have crossed many minds as the first two-division undisputed champion eyes another peak to conquer. The August 3 match with Israil Madrimov marks ‘Bud’s debut in the light middleweight division. To many, it could be an apparent move to that ultimate goal Crawford has cherished for a long time: Canelo Alvarez. Talks are abundant, and influential voices within the sport seem to be rooting for the epic clash. But what if it doesn’t make the grade, at least for the time being?

Terence Crawford remains the favorite to win on Saturday night. So in the absence of the Canelo Alvarez matchup, will he stick around the 154-pound weight class? Or will he go back to welterweight and finish the long-pending argument with ‘Boot’? Who knows, perhaps the Philadelphian, who gave a blaring call out to Crawford after his latest win, might himself walk in to the light middleweight for a final showdown. Anyway, an out-of-the-blue meet between ‘Bud’ and Boots’ in the lead-up to the latter’s fight saw tongues wrangling in the Twittersphere.

No ‘Boots’ for now: Terence Crawford

Varies sources shared the clip, which featured Terence Crawford walking down when noticed Jaron Ennis. Wearing a light blue hoodie in sharp contrast to Crawford’s dark blue Everlast fight card hoodie, the IBF welterweight champion stood sideways, arms crossed, and smiled back. Turning his head backward while moving ahead, ‘Bud’ Crawford wondered, “I thought you wasn’t going to watch it.”

Last month, Jaron Ennis defended his title for the first time. He became a full-world champion last year following the IBF’s decision to strip Terence Crawford of their title. Talking about his future plans during the post-fight interview, ‘Boots’ famously said, “I want, you know, I want the big names. You know, Terence Crawford, anybody else can in that weight that got a big name; let’s get it; let’s make it happen.”

The clash between Ennis and Crawford remains one of the most sought-after in the middle divisions. However, a few weeks after his win over Errol Spence Jr., ‘Bud’ while speaking with DJ Envy and Charlamagne tha God revealed going after Canelo Alvarez. The fight with Ennis appeared to be a ‘lose-lose’ one for him.

the fight outside the ring

The awkward exchange soon saw many fans jumping in the fray and sharing their thoughts. They were either for Terence Crawford or for Jaron Ennis. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.

This fan, despite the admiration they have for Jaron Ennis, believes that Terence Crawford would beat him decisively. The Philadelphian is prone to making mistakes in the ring. Hence, the fan believes that he might be serving the fight on a platter to Crawford. He won’t hesitate to take full advantage.

The next fan, however, seemed a die-hard ‘Boots’ fan. Criticizing the Nebraskan for avoiding tougher opponents, they highlighted how he avoided a clash with Ennis and left his undisputed title undefended. Not only that, according to the fan, Crawford’s eventual move to fight Canelo Alvarez might backfire. In a lot of ways, ‘Bud’ not fighting ‘Boots’ is similar to what the Mexican icon has been doing about the David Benavidez fight.

It was time a Terence Crawford fan jumped in. This following fan strongly suggested that Jaron ‘Boot’s Ennis should avoid the fight against a generationally skilled boxer like Terence Crawford. But on hindsight, the fan opined that had they been in the Nebraskan’s shoes, they would have gone ahead with the Ennis match. They reason that it’s highly likely that after probably two or three fights, ‘Boot’ might be at the level where ‘Bud’ is currently at. Hence, beating him at the time might become a tough proposition.

This fan believes Crawford might be avoiding ‘Boots’ Ennis. ‘Bud’ may have walked past because in Ennis, he witnessed his forthcoming downfall.

Despite the additional pounds that Crawford seems to have gained, this fan finds him in excellent physical condition. They had nothing but admiration for the former undisputed champion’s boxing skills.

Thus acclaim and brickbats at the same time for two of the best boxers of recent times.

While Terence Crawford tries to capture the light middleweight title tomorrow, the Riyadh Season card has in place a slew of exciting fights that will keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Following David Benavidez, David Morrell will face Radivoje Kalajdzic for an interim light heavyweight title. Then Isaac Cruz will be defending his light welterweight title from Jose Valenzuela. The event marks the return of former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr.

What is your opinion? Should Terence Crawford put to rest all doubts and give the fight with Jaron Ennis a shot?