Now that a massive, but in the opinion of plenty of fans, an unrealistic fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez is off the table, pound-for-pound #1 Crawford needs to find another huge fight that will sufficiently motivate him. All-time great Bernard Hopkins thinks he has the fight “Bud” should take: one with rising welterweight star and possible future great Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
And Philly legend B-Hop wants the fight to take place in his hometown. Speaking with Fight Hype, Hopkins was asked which single fight he would make with Turki Alalshikh right now, and “The Executioner,” after thinking deeply, answered Crawford Vs. Boots.
“I would make Crawford versus Boots Ennis in Philadelphia,” Hopkins said. “Make that today because I believe any other fight past those divisions going up to Canelo is not realistic based on financial realistic and non-realistic…..Crawford-Boots is the fight to see. That’s a super-fight, trust me.”
Well, do you trust Hopkins on this? I sure do. Imagine the sheer skill, talent, desire, and, well, greatness we would see if Crawford matched his wits with those belonging to Ennis! Whether the fight would prove to give us a classic changing of the guard or whether old master Crawford would give Boots his marching orders, we would for sure get a special fight with this one. But does Crawford want it? Will Crawford ever make welterweight again? If not, could Boots go up and challenge Crawford at 154?
It would be a real old-school piece of magic if Crawford Vs. Boots did happen in the once thriving fight city of Philadelphia. Boots, 32-0(29) is fast becoming a major star in Philly and beyond, and if he got the chance to fight “Bud” in the City of Brotherly Love, the city that hosted so many great fighters and great fights back in the day, well, it would be special.
Hopkins, the matchmaker, says so, and plenty of us are listening. But is Terence Crawford listening? Too often, great fighters these days fail to give the fans the fights they want to see, the fights they really, really want to see. Canelo is getting plenty of criticism for not giving us the David Benavidez fight, and it is possible fans will hold it against Crawford, 41-0(31) if he doesn’t give us the Ennis fight.
Agree or disagree?
One thing that must be said is how any and all talk of Ennis “not being ready for Crawford” must stop. Boots is itching for a shot at Crawford, and with huge names like Hopkins now calling for the fight, maybe there is more of a chance of it happening. Maybe.
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