Comments Thread For: Crawford On Ennis Being Elevated: "It Seems Like Everybody's Cool With Being Email Champs"

[dannnnn]

Why would the P4P # 1 boxer on the planet fight someone who has 15 previous/most recent fights vs fighters who have an accumulated record of 63 losses? Why hasn’t Boots fought a competitive fighter yet??

Because he's the welterweight champion and that 'someone' is the consensus' number one contender. It's that simple. Where you rank on an opinion poll (which is all pound-for-pound is) is completely irrelevant to the matter at hand. I really don't understand this backwards notion these days that certain top fighters should basically be considered too good to have to even bother defending their belts against 'regular' fighters.

It is a no win situation for Crawford because if he beats Boots, what will he gain.

He'll gain a successful title defense in the record books against the number one challenger in his division. What more can be asked of any champion? If that's not enough, cool, vacate the titles (or be stripped) and let the guys who want to be champion - and to fulfill the obligations of being a champion - fight for them instead.

I like Crawford, but in this situation there is really no need to hold up the division when we all know he isn't going to fight Ennis or probably anyone else at welterweight ever again.

[Zodogg]

Crawford for 1 is, has, and deserves his UNDISPUTED Position..and im not hating on Boots at all. Number one think about this Boots has shown alot of skill and talent to get his wins. The problem I have is he's ascended to number 1 rank in some people's eyes without fighting any Top10 fighters. Plenty of ranked fighters in the 4 organisations. Boots was
Spences mandatory for almost 3 yrs
They never talked about stripping Spence when he held the IBF. Crawford has held the belt, what? 4 months??? They strip him for fighting a REMATCH that's was contractually obligated and he is Called Duck Holding up the Division because of a rematch. And BTW Crawford earnes his position to fight whoever whenever o
so hate the game not the player

[BuffaloDerek]

I like Crawford but he doesn’t want the fight, so move on and make your money and leave the young man alone

I think a fight with Ennis is a bigger fight than the rematch with Spence. I think will sell better plus it would give Crawford the chance to prove he is truly a PPV draw as he’ll be the A-side of major fight.

[-Kev-]

I don’t care what ****** rule the IBF is following and trying to be strict about. Their should never be a moment in boxing where one fighter gets stripped of his belt and that belt is handed to another fighter without a fight.

I don’t give a **** ass about any of that “interim” champion crap. What the hell is that? Dumb rule that ruins the competitiveness of boxing. It makes belts so damn worthless. Get rid of whatever rule is causing fighters to get stripped and belts handed to someone else without a fight.

Jarron Ennis should be fighting the next best available welterweight for that belt…the next best available TBRB or Ring 147 fighter, not IBF next best 147 fighter. Cause these ABC rankings are sh/t.

Crawford, Spence, Ortiz Jr, Stanionis, not available? Then on to the next one for the IBF belt. But to just hand it over like that.

Stripping the champion because he can’t fight Ennis yet? Alright, understood. Don’t hog belts, i’m down with that. Give the stripped belt away to the would-be challenger? That’s BS.

[jqSide]

Ennis' dream of having a title finally came to fruition.

[BlackRobb]

Crawford for 1 is, has, and deserves his UNDISPUTED Position..and im not hating on Boots at all. Number one think about this Boots has shown alot of skill and talent to get his wins. The problem I have us he's ascended to number 1 rank in some people's eyes without fighting any Top10 fighters. Plenty of ranked fighters in the 3 organisations. Boots was
Spences mandatory for almost 3 yrs
They never talked about stripping Spence when he held the IBF. Crawford has held the belt, what? 4 months??? They strip him for fighting a REMATCH that's was contractually obligated and he is Called Duck Holding up the Division because of a rematch. And BTW Crawford earnes his position to fight whoever whenever o
so hate the game not the player

Some of these fans are goofballs, aren't they?

[Zodogg]

Some of these fans are goofballs, aren't they?

DKNSAB Straight Goofballs

[Combat Talk Radio]

Boots was Spences mandatory for almost 3 yrs

If you're going to make stuff up at least try.

Boots became interim (the TRUE mandatory) for IBF in February 2023.

Spence fought Crawford in July 2023.

Math is a critical skill.

https://3kingsboxing.com/jaron-ennis-title-shot-still-far-off/

https://www.boxingscene.com/jaron-ennis-promoter-expects-spence-vacate-ibf-title-ennis-become-full-champion-by-summer--172536

They never talked about stripping Spence when he held the IBF.

Per the IBF rules, they want to see you're fighting either a mandatory OR someone highly ranked.

Spence won IBF against Brook in 2017.

Peterson defense was 2018. Peterson was highly ranked because he took out the unified 140 IBF/WBA 140 champion (Amir Khan) with such ease that he was being overrated.

Ocampo was a mandatory - 2018.

Mikey was being overrated - especially at 147 - because of how easy he beat Broner, Lipinets (IBF 140) and Bunny (135 IBF). That was 2019.

Porter was a title unification - 2019.

Danny Swift was a mandatory for WBC - 2020.

Ugas was not only a unification but he was highly ranked after beating Pacquiao for WBA. 2022.

Spence tried to get Crawford in the ring for unification starting November 2022 - Crawford walked away from negotiations. Spence committed to unification vs. taking any other fight.

Under IBF rules, the only opportunity there was to call for a mandatory would have been Q1 or Q2 of 2023; but Spence and Crawford came to terms in May - just under 90 days from when Boots was made mandatory/interim, and even if they hadn't made it, unifications almost always trump mandatories. If Spence wasn't able to come to terms with Crawford a second time, IBF would have stripped him for the inactivity, which is why Spence even said that he basically gave "too much" to make the fight happen. Crawford forced his hand when he walked away from negotiations the first time - Spence had no choice


People...if you're going to criticize, at least TRY to understand the real timelines.

[crimsonfalcon07]

Per the IBF rules, they want to see you're fighting either a mandatory OR someone highly ranked.

IBF rules in question:

5.B. All Other Weight Divisions

1. Mandatory Defense Obligation Each Champion so recognized by the IBF in his respective weight class from Mini Flyweight to Cruiserweight shall mandatorily defend his Championship within nine (9) months after its acquisition by him in a contest scheduled for twelve (12) rounds against a leading available contender as designated by the Championships Chairman. Once this initial mandatory defense obligation has been satisfied, the Champion shall defend his championship within intervals of no more than nine (9) months against the leading available contender in his weight class as designated by the Championships Chairman.

2. Optional Defenses In the interim periods, the Champion may enter into any contest with any contender rated in the top fifteen (15) boxers in his weight class as set forth in the ratings of the IBF subject to the approval of the Championships Chairman and the President. All optional defenses, and any and all other bouts, by a Champion shall be concluded at least sixty (60) days prior to the date the Champion’s mandatory is due and shall be subject to the approval of the Championships Chairman and the President. (a) (b) Should the Champion lose his title in an optional defense against an opponent other than the leading available contender, the new Champion shall be required to make his mandatory title defense against the leading available contender, as designated by the Championships Chairman, within a period of six (6) months after the acquisition. Within the six (6) month defense period set forth above, and with the prior approval of the Championships Chairman, the new Champion may engage in an optional defense of his title against a ranked opponent in the top fifteen (15) contenders in the weight class as rated by the IBF. However, should the title change hands as a result of such an optional contest, the newly crowned Champion inherits the mandatory obligation of the prior champion and must defend the title within the time remaining for the Champion from whom he won the title.

That's not an OR. You have to satisfy the mandatory, and fighting some other guy in an optional defense, highly ranked or not, doesn't satisfy a mandatory.

Facts are that Spence only defended against an IBF mandatory once since 2017. The IBF president even acknowledged that they didn't follow their rules in Spence's case when they stripped Bud.

Who's making stuff up?

[jqSide]

I don’t care what ****** rule the IBF is following and trying to be strict about. Their should never be a moment in boxing where one fighter gets stripped of his belt and that belt is handed to another fighter without a fight.

I don’t give a **** ass about any of that “interim” champion crap. What the hell is that? Dumb rule that ruins the competitiveness of boxing. It makes belts so damn worthless. Get rid of whatever rule is causing fighters to get stripped and belts handed to someone else without a fight.

Jarron Ennis should be fighting the next best available welterweight for that belt…the next best available TBRB or Ring 147 fighter, not IBF next best 147 fighter. Cause these ABC rankings are sh/t.

Crawford, Spence, Ortiz Jr, Stanionis, not available? Then on to the next one for the IBF belt. But to just hand it over like that.

Stripping the champion because he can’t fight Ennis yet? Alright, understood. Don’t hog belts, i’m down with that. Give the stripped belt away to the would-be challenger? That’s BS.

Tell 'em bro.