Ennis-Crowley on Course to Gatecrash Canelo-Munguia
Mar 8, 2024 • 3:07 PM ET
The thinking is that while Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s impending selection of Jaime Munguia may not be the perfect opponent choice, there is still a way to package his May 4 pay-per-view card as a can’t-miss event.
While Alvarez-Munguia stands as Alvarez’s first all-Mexican Cinco de Mayo bout since 2017, when he dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Premier Boxing Champions seeks something more to reach an audience beyond the Latino-based lifeblood supporters.
Alvarez has received some scorn for not picking the unbeaten David Benavidez when the timing seems ideal for that match.
To answer any of that backlash, BoxingScene has learned option number one is going with a co-main event featuring the gifted unbeaten welterweight from Philadelphia, Jaron “Boots” Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs).
Ennis, 26, is awaiting a March 19 purse bid for his mandatory title fight against Canada’s Cody Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs). The purse-bid winner will decide where and when Ennis-Crowley will occur.
Should PBC win, its preference is to place Ennis in the co-main event.
An informal BoxingScene survey of boxing insiders established a predicted range of 600,000 to 800,000 pay-per-view buys.
Obviously, maximizing the audience and the value of the card go hand in hand.
The superbly skilled Ennis is immensely popular among boxing’s hardcore fans and has been likened to a young Roy Jones Jr.
Only five of his bouts have stretched into the sixth round, and 20 of his last 21 fights have been knockouts or stoppages.
If the first Prime Video card, headlined by 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu versus former welterweight champion Keith Thurman on March 30, is an example, PBC has exhibited interest in beefing up its pay-per-view cards for Prime Video.
That card features Rolando Romero versus Isaac Cruz and Sebastian Fundora against Serhii Bohachuk.
On its planned June 15 card that has yet to be formally announced, Gervonta “Tank” Davis will headline against Frank Martin and Benavidez is set to return in a light-heavyweight bout against former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
- Saul "Canelo" Alvarez
- Jaime Munguia
- Jaron Ennis
- Cody Crowley
- Ennis vs Crowley
- Jaron Ennis Vs. Karen Chukhadzhian 2
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
