Retired champion Terence Crawford has dismissed Jaron Ennis’s recent title unification victory over Xander Zayas, claiming the performance is being overstated. Crawford believes Ennis showed a key vulnerability that a bigger puncher like Sebastian Fundora or Vergil Ortiz Jr. would exploit for a different result.
Ennis stopped the previously unbeaten Zayas in the seventh round to unify two junior middleweight world titles. However, Crawford, a long-time critic of Ennis, focused on a moment of difficulty for the champion rather than the finish. He argued that the praise for the victory is disproportionate because Zayas was not expected to win. Crawford told Shawn Porter, “I don’t think no one picked Xander to win. I love Xander, and he’s a great kid, but I think we’re overhyping [Ennis’] victory,”.
The specific point of concern for Crawford was in the third round, when Zayas landed a clean right hand that visibly shook Ennis. Although Ennis recovered to control the remainder of the fight, scoring three knockdowns before the stoppage, Crawford believes that moment was telling. He predicts the division’s elite power punchers would not have allowed Ennis to escape a similar situation.
Crawford feels a fight against a more powerful opponent would end differently.
“I think it’s going to be different when he comes up against a Fundora or a Vergil because, if one of those guys gets him hurt like Xander did, I don’t think it’s going to be the same outcome,” he stated. This critique adds a significant narrative to Ennis’s next steps as he pursues the undisputed championship at 154 pounds. Potential opponents include WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, with whom talks have reportedly begun, and IBF titleholder Josh Kelly. Vergil Ortiz Jr. also remains a high-profile potential opponent in the division. While Ennis continues to collect belts, Crawford’s public skepticism from retirement ensures questions about his durability will follow him into his next major bout.
