Two fighters, both operating at wholly different stages of their careers, one having achieved a status of greatness, the other threatening in a major way to do so. We are talking about Terence “Bud” Crawford and Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Something else a whole lot of us are currently doing is asking the question, what’s next for both men?
Crawford’s Future in Question
Eddie Hearn, who promotes Ennis, says that as far as Crawford and his ongoing career is concerned (this if Crawford does actually fight again, and at this point, we don’t know for sure if he will), the only fight for the five-weight king that is “realistic” is one with Ennis.
Ennis, as we know, scored an impressive and quick KO win in his 154-pound debut, when the former two-belt welterweight champ took out Uisma Lima, and the big fights loom for the Philly warrior. There is talk of unification fights at ’54, with Ennis, 35-0(31), taking on Sebastian Fundora, Vergil Ortiz, Bakhram Murtazaliev, and Xander Zayas. But what about Crawford, who is next for him?
Hearn Pushes the Ennis Agenda
Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports, argued his case for a Crawford-Ennis fight taking place.
“Tell me a fight other than Ennis-Crawford that you would really want to see Crawford in that is realistic,” Hearn demanded. “A lot of those guys that Crawford fought, unfortunately for him, were past their best. Even though I rate him as a generational talent, I think he’s unbelievable. The difference with Ennis is that Ennis isn’t at the backend of his career. Ennis isn’t coming off eye surgery or a terrible car crash (as Errol Spence was going into his big fight with Crawford), or hasn’t had 80 fights (Canelo Alvarez, this Crawford’s biggest win so far, has actually had 68 fights). It’s not Crawford’s fault; he would have fought them all, and he probably would have beaten them all.”
Hearn’s point here is that Ennis is the young blood guy, the hungry guy who wants what Crawford has. It would be a momentous passing of the torch, at least in Hearn’s opinion, if Ennis did get a shot at Crawford. But does Crawford, who, as Hearn points out, is 10 years older than the man here at age 38, want the smoke a fight with “Boots” would perhaps bring?
Does Crawford Want That Smoke?
Does Crawford, 42-0(31) need to take a fight with “Boots” and win it in order to prove his greatness in an absolute no-remaining-questions-to-be-asked manner? Who could “Bud” fight in another “realistic” fight if he doesn’t agree to get it on with the man so many already feel is either knocking on the door as far as being the best in the world at ’54, or who has already smashed the door down?
“Crawford is a generational great,” Hearn continued. “He’s earned the right to fight anyone he wants, and he’s only going to step back in the ring for a shedload of money. So we’ve got a lot to do on our side to make that fight as lucrative as it needs to be.”
Realistic—or Just Wishful Thinking?
Would an Ennis who holds wins over Ortiz, Fundora, Zayas, and Murtazaliev carry enough clout to be able to entice Crawford into fighting him? And how long would it take for “Boots” to get those fights, much less win them? Are Crawford and Ennis simply too far apart, on a whole number of levels, for a fight between the two to be……..realistic?