Jaron Ennis has become the top dog in the welterweight division after Terence Crawford moved up to 154lbs. The shift happened following Crawford's big win over Errol Spence Jr.
Crawford's fight with Spence in 2023 was supposed to be a close contest. But Crawford took charge from the start. He knocked Spence down three times and stopped him in the ninth round. It was a career-defining moment for Crawford. He made history by becoming the first boxer to be undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era.
After the fight, Spence didn't want a rematch. Crawford then moved up to super-welterweight. He beat Israil Madrimov in a tough twelve-round fight to become the WBA champion at 154lbs.
With Crawford gone, Ennis is now the man to beat at welterweight. He's the IBF World Champion and a rising star in boxing. Ennis has a perfect record of 32 wins with 29 knockouts.
Robert Garcia, who trains top fighters like Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez and Vergil Ortiz, shared his thoughts on Ennis and Crawford. He said:
"It's a good fight but I think Crawford, at 147 he's the man."
Garcia also added:
"Because of the experience and everything I would pick Crawford, but Ennis is a bad motherf***er. Crawford is already proven, he's already had some great fights, so I would say Crawford because of the experience but talent wise maybe Ennis is better."
Garcia thinks Crawford has more experience and has proven himself at the top level. But he believes Ennis might have more raw talent.
As for what's next, reports suggest Crawford will only come back for a fight with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez at super-middleweight. That means a showdown between Ennis and Crawford looks unlikely for now.