Bradley: Shakur proven, Boots Ennis still untested

Timothy Bradley drew a clear distinction between Shakur Stevenson and Jaron Ennis during a recent video, praising Stevenson while questioning whether Ennis has proven himself at the same level.

Bradley was direct when discussing Stevenson, saying, “That boy bad,” as he pointed to the lightweight’s performances against top opposition. He took a different tone when addressing Ennis, acknowledging the junior middleweight’s ability but pointing to the level of opposition he has faced.

“We see the goods,” Bradley said. “But the competition ain’t been there.”

Bradley added that success against lower-tier opponents does not answer the same questions as fights against elite competition, stressing that the difference shows up when mistakes are punished.

Shakur has the same problems that ‘Boots’ has. He’s not fought any elite-level opposition during his pro career, and in a couple of cases, his wins were borderline.

Many fans agree that Shakur’s best career victories came against Edwin De Los Santos and William Zepedia. His recent win over Teofimo Lopez was against a fighter who had lost to George Kambosos Jr., and struggled in questionable wins over Sandor Martin and Jamaine Ortiz.

Stevenson left the 135-lb division without fighting the top dogs, and he still hasn’t fought any of the dangerous younger guys at 140.

Bradley said Ennis still needs to confirm his standing through stronger opposition rather than expectation or reputation. He also made it clear that his view could change depending on future performances.

“If he dog walk Xander Zayas, if he makes it look easy, I’mma be just like y’all,” Tim said.

Bradley believes that Stevenson has already reached that level, which is why his praise came without hesitation. That’s Tim going by Shakur’s wins over limited and often older opposition rather than elite-level fighters, like Gary Antuanne Russell, Abdullah Mason, Floyd Schofield Jr., and Richardson Hitchins.

Ennis remains a fighter Bradley wants to see tested before placing him in the same category. Bradley’s position is based on what each fighter has shown in the ring, not what they might show later.