The last thing Jaron Ennis wanted was to be gifted a world title. However, once the IBF stripped Terence Crawford of their belt, Ennis was gifted, or in other words, handed, their crown.
It was a bittersweet moment. On one end, Ennis achieved a lifelong dream of becoming an official champion. On the other hand, hearing his peers and fans call him a fraud and email champion has left a sour taste in his mouth.
There isn’t much Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) can do. He now finds himself in a position of power but he also feels somewhat helpless. No matter how many superlatives are thrown in his direction, he knows that he can’t force anyone to jump in the ring with him. There’s only one way that Ennis’ name can protrude toward the top of everyone’s hit list…actually, there’s two.
“I just gotta keep winning and keep making noise,” Ennis told YSM Sports Media during a recent interview. “Keep stepping on these guys. They gotta see me.”
Keith Thurman is a name that Ennis would love to get his hands on. The same goes for Mario Barrios and Errol Spence Jr. Ennis’ next move is an open-ended question but he’s already painted a red bullseye on the back of Crawford.
Since having his belt forcefully taken away from him, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) has shrugged off the IBF’s ruling and continued to go about his business. Seeing that he already aggregated all of the major welterweight hardware back in July, he views their decision as annoying but innocuous.
Whether he’s an undisputed champion or not, Crawford believes that he’s the best fighter on the planet. Ennis though, with the IBF title draped over his shoulder, wants him to prove it.
“Come get your belt back if you think you're the best in the world.”