Terence Crawford is catching some heat from fans after vacating all his 147-pound titles, with many accusing him of “ducking” rising star Jaron Ennis. The move has sparked a wave of criticism on social media. While some defend the champ’s decision, others aren’t letting him off the hook so easily, making it a hot topic in the boxing community.
Crawford has notified the WBA that he’s vacating his welterweight title, choosing to stick with his 154-lb belt instead. Now, with him exiting the 147-lb division, WBA ‘regular’ champ Eimantas Stanionis becomes the full belt-holder.
This move was expected, as Crawford’s options at 147 lbs were limited, with IBF champ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis being the only big name, and Crawford has never seemed interested in that fight.
Needless to say, this move did not sit well with fans who bashed Crawford for his decision. Here are some of the best reactions to the news.
One fan said, “ducking boots I see.”
ducking boots I see
— Aひ (@ride4ant) September 1, 2024
Another fan added, “Looks like he doesn’t want to fight boots.”
Looks like he doesn’t want to fight boots.
— Luis Velazquez (@lrvelazquez) September 1, 2024
“You can’t run away from Boots…he’s about move up to 154 possibly even his next fight might be with your last opponent I guarantee Boots will stop Madrimov if he agrees to fight‼️”– commented a fan.
You can’t run away from Boots…he’s about move up to 154 possibly even his next fight might be with your last opponent I guarantee Boots will stop Madrimov if he agrees to fight‼️
— Siado Multiverse (@SiadoSirius) September 1, 2024
“Ducked”– said a fan.
Ducked
— NewEra_91 (@New_Era_91) September 1, 2024
Unfortunately for fight fans, while we might not get to see Crawford vs Ennis, it is because ‘Bud’ has bigger plans for himself.
Terence Crawford to take on Canelo Alvarez?
Eddie Hearn, Ennis’ promoter has been pushing hard for this fight to take place. Hearn would love to see Jaron Ennis take on Terence Crawford before the former calls it a career, but he thinks the champ is one of those fighters who doesn’t want to give a younger star a chance to shine.
Instead, Crawford seems more focused on chasing a bigger payday with a potential fight against Canelo Alvarez.
It’s a similar situation to what Canelo would be doing for Crawford, who isn’t a big PPV draw and mainly sells tickets in his hometown of Omaha, except ‘Bud’ is also 36-years-old and nearing the end of his career.
A last hurrah against Alvarez does make a lot of sense for the Omaha native and the Mexican star has not ruled out the possibility of this fight. In a recent interview Alvarez gave reason for fans to celebrate by refusing to rule out the possibility of a fight with Crawford.
However, only time will tell how all the cards will fall into place.
