Terence Crawford has never shied away from a challenge, and now it looks like his next one could be the biggest of his career-literally. Talks are heating up for a September showdown against Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds, a fight that would pit two pound-for-pound greats against each other in a battle that could define the era.
But not everyone’s sold on the idea just yet-especially not Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
Ennis, one of boxing’s most exciting rising stars, is getting ready for his own test against Eimantas Stanionis this weekend. Still, he found time to weigh in on the Canelo vs. Crawford hype train, and he’s not exactly handing out blind endorsements.
In a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, Ennis raised a red flag about Crawford moving up two full weight classes. “I think Crawford should take a warm-up fight at 160 just to feel what it’s like against a bigger guy,” he said.
Power matters, especially at 168
Boots didn’t hold back when talking about what Crawford’s up against. “Canelo’s been at that weight for a while. He’s been pinning big guys out. Crawford’s smaller, and Canelo be dropping dudes that come in at like 200 pounds on fight night.”
The reality is, Alvarez may not be a natural super middleweight either, but he’s made a habit of hurting-and finishing-fighters much bigger than Crawford. That’s not lost on people who know how the game works.
Others in the boxing world have echoed similar concerns. Timothy Bradley told BoxingScene.com that while Crawford is “probably the most complete fighter right now,” the size difference can’t be ignored. “It’s a real jump,” Bradley said.
Crawford, for his part, has never lacked confidence. On Max on Boxing, he made it clear: “I’ll fight anybody, any weight. That’s what greatness is about.” And for fans, that kind of mindset is exactly what makes this potential matchup so compelling.
So the question remains-can elite skill neutralize elite size and power? Crawford may be one of the best technicians the sport has ever seen, but if he goes straight into a fight with Canelo, he’ll be doing it with zero margin for error.
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