Ennis did what he had to do for Avanesyan, but what can he do for Crawford?

ALTHOUGH it is true that there is none what is needed seeing Jaron “Boots” Ennis stop David Avanesyan within five rounds to know that Ennis is a superior fighter, that doesn't mean Ennis vs. Avanesyan was a wasted war; or that didn't have to happen.

Instead, it was a fight that Jaron Ennis needed at this stage in his professional career and for many reasons: one, because it allowed him to talk about his home event in Philadelphia and remind us of all the times when local fighters played well. numbers in their battles; two, because Ennis, despite his growing reputation, is still very much the person who built both his career and his profile; and three, because Avanesyan, while nowhere near Ennis's level, was at least a brave enough competitor to bring out the best in Ennis and entertain the fans.

It was for all these reasons, then, that when Ennis stopped Avanesyan in the fifth round at the Wells Fargo Center today (July 13) he checked more boxes than he left off. Most importantly, Ennis, in stopping Avanesyan between the fifth and sixth rounds, was able to retain his IBF welterweight title and extend his unbeaten record to 32-0 (29). Well, again, by winning in good style and showing no outward fear at the end of the fight, Ennis remains in contention to fight Terence “Bud” Crawford possibly later this year. (Crawford, let's not forget, fights WBA super-welterweight champion Israel Madrimov on August 3.) “Absolutely, that's what I'm looking for – the big names,” Ennis said during a post-fight interview. “Terence Crawford or anyone else with a big name can get it.”

For now, there's still a sense that the money men behind Crawford vs. Ennis wanted a fight more than the two who were assigned to end up throwing punches in the boxing ring. Ennis' new promoter, Eddie Hearn, really likes it, while Turki Alalshikh, the Middle Eastern man who does all the money and promotion on behalf of promoters these days, is clearly fired up by Crawford and Ennis' hopes. sharing a ring. He took to social media after Ennis' recent win and wrote the following: “I just found boxer Jaron Ennis and Eddie Hearn to congratulate him on his win and I would like to see Ennis (a) fight Crawford at heavyweight. (sic) 154 soon. “

Now, if we know anything about the way boxing is run today, we know this: whatever Turki Alalshikh wants, he gets. That includes the feel of the promoter's wet hand and includes fighters who swallow their pride, put their egos to one side, and score points in the ring. That, for better or worse, is just the world right now.

As for whether Ennis is ready for Crawford, the answer isn't as straightforward as it should be. Yes, on the other hand, he is ready in the sense that he has fought 32 fights and is now a mature 27 years old. However, on the other hand, Ennis is unknown outside of boxing circles and, despite his talent, it is hard to imagine a fight against Crawford attracting anywhere near the kind of attention we saw Crawford's 2023 fight against Errol Spence attract. In contrast to that fight, the rivalry was made quickly rather than organically and dragged on for a long time and one wonders if the lack of alternatives is what drives Crawford vs. Ennis rather than, say, a greater need to see them fight. Then again, Crawford, 35, doesn't really have time to choose or wait. He has already spent too much of his career in obscurity and will know, more than anyone, how important it is now to collect the kind of wins that will continue to define his legacy. Ennis, as a future contender, will obviously help in that regard.

Good, Ennis, of that there is no doubt. His finishing shot against Avanesyan this evening – a scything left to the jaw while on the back foot – was also a sign of his quality. Plus, the shot reminded us that Ennis has that killer mentality and eye for the finish, something Crawford also has and showed to great effect against Spence this time last year. Indeed, it is this ability to impress talent and shut down the system with brutality that sets people like Crawford and Ennis apart, and makes them look more than other professionals whose dominance is tainted by doubt. In choosing to fight the way they did, both Ennis and Crawford took more shots than they would have liked, but rarely – in fact, never – did this affect the final result. Tonight, for example, Ennis shot more than he would have liked against Avanesyan, 30-5-1 (18), but all he did was give Avanesyan ersatz confidence and eventually lead to a jaw-breaking punch. and successfully completed his challenge. Similarly, Crawford has never been a matchless fighter, yet he also understands the importance of winning the mental battle with an opponent and breaking their heart, will and body as the battle progresses. He also understands the importance of having fun.

Terence Crawford lands his right hook on Errol Spence (Getty Images)

Back in April, promoter Eddie Hearn had this to say about Crawford vs. Ennis: “I rate Terence Crawford, but we're ready to roll the dice, baby – and we believe we've got the 'A' side.” That's not strictly true, of course, because there's only one “side” to that fight (as if such a thing matters), but Hearn at least makes more sense in the lead-up to Ennis vs. Avanesyan when he said this. : “Terence Crawford vs Jaron 'Boots' Ennis is the best fight in boxing, without a doubt.”

Some of those comments are debatable – there are bigger and potentially more exciting fights to be had in this game – but from a technical standpoint it's hard to imagine many more fights than Crawford vs. Ennis at 154 pounds. Whether that is ultimately enough to ignite a war, both before and during the war itself, is anyone's guess, yet such concerns are not really important. If, finally, Turki Alalshikh, everyone promoter, you want this fight to happen, make sure it happens – and maybe sooner than you think.