Analyst Shawn Porter says he’s concerned for Terence Crawford after learning that Canelo Alvarez has brought in phenom Errol Spence to his training camp to prepare him for his September 13th fight at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Porter states that Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) can do a lot of the same things the 37-year-old Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) can. So, it won’t be a shock to Canelo when he gets inside the ring with Crawford on September 13th. He’ll have already seen everything that he can do from a younger, fresher, and equally powerful Ennis.
“It means nothing unless you know how ‘Boots’ trains,” said Shawn Porter on his YouTube channel about Canelo Alvarez bringing Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in as one of his sparring partners for the Terence Crawford fight. “He’s probably going to have another week with him.
Inactivity Poses a Threat
Crawford’s Inactivity gaps since 2020
- Canelo Alvarez [September 13, 20025]: 13-month layoff. His previous fight was on August 3, 2024.
- Israil Madrimov [August 3, 2024]: 12-month layoff. His previous fight was on July 29, 2023.
- Errol Spence Jr. [July 29, 2023]: 7-month layoff. His previous fight was on December 10, 2022.
- David Avanesyan [December 10, 2022]: 12-month layoff. His previous fight was on November 20, 2021.
- Shawn Porter [November 20, 2021]. 12-month layoff. His previous fight was on November 14, 2020.
- Kell Brook [November 14, 2020]: 11-month layoff. His previous fight was on December 15, 2019.
“If you’re getting four to six sparring sessions in with ‘Boots’ Ennis, that might even be going 100% because ‘It’s you and I got to represent.’ That’s excellent work. When you’re training for a championship fight, you need something that’s going to raise your level,” said Porter.
Ennis Pushes Canelo’s Limits
If the rumors on social media are true, Ennis is really giving it to Canelo during the sparring sessions. He’s not taking it easy on Alvarez out of gratitude for being hired by him or because he’s a boxing legend.
In my view, what’s really important is that Ennis is giving Canelo different looks, changing stances from orthodox to southpaw, and punching from both close and long range. The way that ‘Boots’, 28, looked in his last fight against Eimantas Stanionis on April 12, 2025, he’s already surpassed the old lion, Crawford, in ability, in my expert opinion.
Ennis stopped Stanionis in six rounds and showed a different style of fighting from his previous 33 fights as a pro. Ennis is showcasing all that to Canelo in his sparring, and it’s ideal preparation for the Mexican star ahead of his fight against Crawford.
“This move right here got me a little concerned about my boy [Crawford] because this dude [Ennis] right here is the goods. He has the ability to do a lot of what Canelo is going to see on fight night. And all he needs is a couple of reps of seeing it. It’s not often that you can find someone who can duplicate the guy that you’re going to be getting in the ring with,” said Porter.
Age and Layoffs Matter
There should be concern for Crawford and not just because Canelo brought ‘Boots’ Ennis into camp. These are the reasons why Crawford fans should be worried for him:
- Age: Terence turns 38 on September 28, and that’s not young for boxing or any sport.
- Inactivity: Coming off a 13-month layoff.
“The fact that Canelo brought in ‘Boots’, even if they’re doing it for the cameras and going 50%, I don’t even care,” said former WBC interim junior middleweight champion Brian Mendoza to PorterWay Podcast. “The fact that he’s calling him in, it shows he’s not just phoning it in. This isn’t for the check because Canelo’s done. He’s about to do this and dip out.
“If you bring in someone like that and you’re really trying to be in tough sparring for the look for your fight, Canelo is really going to be in there to win it,” said Mendoza.
Canelo isn’t going to roll over on Crawford just because he’s near retirement. He has his pride. Of course, Alvarez is going to train hard and bring in the best sparring help he can get. The other notable sparring partner he has for this camp is middleweight Yoenli Hernandez, a big puncher who can switch hit just like Crawford. It’s not just Ennis that Alvarez brought in for this camp.