Tim Bradley is indignant at seeing how Terence Crawford has brazenly prevented preventing Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, giving him the identical remedy that Errol Spence gave him.
Boxing analyst Bradley feels that Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) ought to have fought Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) after he captured the undisputed welterweight championship final July towards Spence. As a substitute of doing that, Crawford moved as much as 154 and is difficult Israil Madrimov for his WBA junior middleweight title on August third on the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Whereas Crawford-Madrimov is a superb battle for the followers, it’s not as huge of a conflict as a match between Crawford and ‘Boots’ Ennis would have been. Followers really feel that it’s apparent why Crawford selected to not battle Ennis. He’s seen as a youthful, extra highly effective, and higher model of Crawford and would make a wreck out of the 36-year-old fighter.
On condition that Crawford being positioned for a mega-fight towards Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed tremendous middleweight championship subsequent 12 months, supplied he wins his match towards Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), a match towards ‘Boots’ Ennis is just not within the playing cards. He would mess up these plans and all thie cash that may come from that battle. It’s primary enterprise.
Watching Crawford work out with Andre Ward this week in half-speed sparring, he could possibly be heading for hassle towards the 29-year-old Madrimov.
If it goes to the scorecards, Crawford could be Crawford’s greatest wager of profitable as a result of his possibilities of knocking out Madrimov are slim. If he tries, he’ll get hit with some photographs that might spoil his evening.
“‘Boots’ has been after Crawford for a while now. He needs all that smoke. Crawford was at 147 at one level, and now he’s at 154. Nevertheless, why can’t we get a Crawford and ‘Boots’ Ennis?” mentioned boxing analyst Tim Bradley to Probox TV, complaining about how Terence Crawford ducked Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis when he fought at 147 from 2018 to 2023 after which fled the division.
Crawford is doing to Ennis what Canelo is with David Benavidez. He’s avoiding a youthful fighter who would reap the benefits of his superior age and the 300,000 miles he has on his odometer. Crawford can’t roll again his mileage clock like a used automotive salesman would to tug off an upset of a younger expertise like Ennis.
So, as an alternative of preventing him and sure getting overwhelmed, he’s swerving him and retaining his fingers crossed that he nonetheless has sufficient left within the tank to beat the youthful, stronger, and extra versatile Madrimov.
“When Crawford was the undisputed champion [at 147], he might have fought towards ‘Boots’ Ennis then,” mentioned Porter. “To me, plainly Crawford is being identical to Spence was to him. When Crawford moved as much as 147 [in 2018], Spence mentioned, ‘Get a belt.’ Crawford obtained a belt and mentioned, ‘Okay, what’s the excuse now? What would you like me to do?’ ‘Properly, you ain’t fought anyone.’”
In fact, Crawford is giving Boots Ennis the identical remedy that Spence gave to him as a result of he’s obtained the Canelo battle being waved in entrance of his snoot with all thie inexperienced stuff he could make from that match-up. Who wouldn’t do the identical factor in the event that they had been in Crawford’s footwear?
If you get outdated, have solely hardly ever fought within the final 4 years, and haven’t confronted high-level opposition in years, you don’t voluntarily battle a expertise like Boots Ennis. He could be unhealthy for anybody’s well being, particularly Crawford, who turns 37 in September.
“You’re listening to the identical excuses coming from the Crawford crew with the identical factor Spence did to him. Is he prepared for Crawford, Boots Ennis? Sure, he’s prepared proper now for Terence Crawford. I’m telling you,” mentioned Bradley.
