Jaron Ennis has responded to criticism from Terence Crawford following his unified world title victory over Zander Zayas. Ennis dismissed the comments after his seventh-round knockout win, stating he is focused on other major fights while the former undisputed champion remains retired.
Ennis produced a dominant performance to claim the WBA and WBO super-welterweight belts, stopping Zayas to cement his status as one of boxing’s elite talents. The fight was not without difficulty, however. Ennis was visibly stunned by a Zayas punch in the third round after engaging in a trade, a moment that drew comment from Crawford, who suggested he was “ten steps ahead” of Ennis in terms of skill. When asked about this assessment, Ennis was blunt in his reply. “I don’t care. None of that stuff bothers me.”
His focus is clearly on active fighters within his new division. A potential bout with Crawford, while lucrative, is not something Ennis is pursuing with any urgency, given the boxing great’s current status. He remains realistic about the situation.
“As of right now, he’s retired. What did he say? He said he’s enjoying his retirement, right? You could say [it’s a big money fight] but there’s other big fights out here for sure, too, though. I don’t consider him anything. I don’t even care. I don’t pay him, or none of these people, no mind.”
With the Crawford chapter seemingly closed for now, Ennis is targeting further unification. He has named WBC champion Sebastian Fundora as his ideal next opponent. A fight against the 6-foot-5½-inch Fundora would present a unique physical challenge and an opportunity for Ennis to add a third world title to his collection. Crawford himself noted that fighters like Fundora and Vergil Ortiz Jr. would provide much sterner tests for the new champion, a challenge Ennis appears ready to embrace.
