Terence Crawford remains on the hunt for his next opponent.
One man who has emerged as potentially being next up for the 37-year-old is IBF world welterweight champion Jaron Ennis.
The 27-year-old was elevated to the full holder of the IBF title at 147lbs, after initially holding the interim version. Crawford was stripped of the title in 2023 due to a contracted rematch with Errol Spence Jr, with the IBF making ‘Boots’ the full champion, which he has successfully defended twice in 2024.
Ennis was keen on facing ‘Bud’ back last year, before the former undisputed welterweight champion decided to move to 154lbs. Crawford has since captured the WBA super-welterweight title, dethroning Israil Madrimov in August at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
In a feature with the Ring Magazine, the 37-year-old originally responded to a call out from ‘Boots’ by saying he would be taking a backwards step if he is to challenge him in the future.
“They’re doing the right thing calling me out. I definitely get it. But I had to work so hard to get the [big] fights I got. They ain’t done half of what I did to get to me. You want me to backtrack and forget the biggest fight in boxing – me and Canelo – to fight Boots or Vergil? What am I gaining from that?”
But in a recent interview with Boxing Social Crawford now isn’t ruling out facing Ennis, as long as his rival moves up to 154.
“We’re at two different weight classes. As you see he just turned down a fight with Vergil Ortiz at 154lbs because he said that he’s staying gat 147. I think ‘Boots’ is going to do tremendous things in the sport of boxing, I think he’s going to potentially clean out the 147ld division and if he moves up, who knows, we shall see [if we’ll face each other].”
Crawford is still targeting Canelo Alvarez in a dream fight for boxing fans in 2025, but his options seem to be open with Ennis and WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez both staking their claims for a shot at the pound for pound great.
