Terence Crawford’s trainer, Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, says it doesn’t “mean s***” that undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is using former unified welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis as his aparring partner to prepare for his defense against Crawford on September 13th.
Ennis Is No Crawford
‘BoMac’ points out that Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) “ain’t no Crawford.” He adds that Canelo should have just gotten “the last cab driver he just fought.” Fans believe that Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) chose Ennis because he’s versatile, powerful, can switch hit, and is young. At 28, Ennis is nine years younger than the 37-year-old Crawford.
“That don’t mean s***. That don’t mean nothing. ‘Boots’ ain’t no Crawford,” said trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre to Ring Magazine, when asked about his thoughts on Canelo Alvarez using Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis as his sparring partner to prepare for Terence Crawford.
It’s unclear whether ‘BoMac’ isn’t concerned with Canelo using Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for preparation for Crawford or not. Ennis’s ability to switch stances the way Crawford does has to be something that McIntyre would have cause to worry about.
If that’s the strategy that Crawford will use against Canelo, it could be less effective if Canelo has had an entire camp of working with the young 28-year-old ‘Boots’ to prepare for it.
The ‘Cab Driver’ Comment
“That s*** ain’t going to help him,” said BoMac about Canelo not being helped by using the former IBF and WBA welterweight champion Ennis as his sparring partner. “He should have just got the last cab driver he just fought because that s*** don’t mean nothing.”
Ennis isn’t the only sparring partner in Canelo’s camp. He’s hired #the 1-ranked WBA middleweight contender Yoenli Hernandez to help. Hernandez (8-0, 7 KOs) is a talented fighter from Cuba with punching power and size to give Canelo work to prepare him for a potential brawl with Crawford.
Youth and Ambidexterity
According to trainer Andre Rozier, Hernandez is ambidextrous and can fight out of both lefty and righty stances.
“It has to take him to another level,” said Rozier to YSM Sports Media when asked if Canelo’s use of Ennis will help him prepare for Crawford. “He [Ennis] brings some youth and athleticism that he hasn’t seen. He was very focused, aware, listening, and he was trying new things at all times, which is pretty cool,” said Rozier about his work with Ennis in his recent training camp for his fight against WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis on April 12, 2025.
BoMac’s Thoughts on Alvarez
“He ain’t no Bud Crawford. They don’t have that mentality and going upside your head at the same time s***, man. I don’t give a f*** about that s*** at all,” said BoMac about ‘Boots’ helping Alvarez.
Ennis is going to do the best he can with Canelo to prepare him for the 37-year-old Crawford, and he has the youth to help him. As Rozier mentioned, Ennis is “trying new things at all times.”
