Abass Baraou was the biggest benefactor of Terence Crawford’s historic win.
The 30-year-old German boxer of Togolese descent has received an upgrade to full WBA 154lbs titlist. The promotion came the moment the bell sounded for Crawford’s eventual 12-round, unanimous decision over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to become undisputed 168lbs champ this past Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A pre-fight ruling permitted Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs) to enter the ring as the WBA 154lbs titleholder, and announced as such prior to the start of the Netflix main event. That distinction was removed once the opening bell sounded, at which point Baraou, 17-1 (9 KOs) was advanced to the sanctioning body’s sole title claimant at the weight.
The streaking contender claimed the secondary version after a 12-round, unanimous decision over unbeaten WBA interim 154lbs titlist Yoenis Tellez on August 23 in Orlando, Florida. Their Fight of the Year contender saw Baraou score a dramatic 12th round knockdown to seal the win over the previously unbeaten Cuban.
The timing could not have been better to produce the biggest win of his career. It was clear that Crawford had no plans to return to the 154lbs division, which made his August 2024 points win over Israil Madrimov a one-and-done affair at the weight.
Baraou and his team made sure to position himself for success. The win over Tellez was his eighth in a row following a 12-round, split decision defeat to Jack Culcay in their August 2020 clash in Charlottenburg, Germany.
Victories have since come in Austria, England, Germany and the U.S. for the well-traveled Baraou, who now awaits further instructions from the WBA. The next step is a likely ordered title defense against former undisputed champ Jermell Charlo, who is the WBA “Champion in Recess.”
Ironically, Charlo’s last fight was against Alvarez and conducted under the same title stipulations as Crawford. Houston’s Charlo was permitted to enter the ring as undisputed 154lbs champion but was immediately relieved of his WBO title once the bell sounded.
Alvarez went on to defeat Charlo via lopsided unanimous decision in their September 2023 meeting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Charlo has not fought since that night; it remains to be seen if he would go straight into a title fight with Baraou on more than two years out of the ring. Recent rumors have swirled of his possibly next facing former unified welterweight champ Errol Spence, as previously reported by our friends at Brunch Boxing.
Should that take place – or Charlo simply not show any interest in a fight with Baraou – the void could be filled by another high-profile boxer.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 34-0 (30 KOs) is due to next face Uisma Lima, 14-1 (10KOs) in a WBA 154lbs title eliminator on October 11 in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The former unified and lineal welterweight champion would then head straight into a title shot, literally the only reason his fight with Lima is taking place.
With a win and any decision by Charlo other than to honor the WBA ruling, Ennis would then be in a position to challenge for his second divisional title.
Whichever option transpires, Baraou is set to reap the financial benefits that far exceed the honor that came with his recent title upgrade.
