Terence Crawford believes Jaron Ennis’s most difficult challenge may not come from a fellow titleholder. Instead, Crawford has identified Vergil Ortiz Jr. as the fighter most likely to present “Boots” with his greatest career test.
After securing his status as a two-division unified champion in June by stopping Xander Zayas in the seventh round to capture the WBO and WBA super-welterweight titles, Ennis is naturally linked to unification bouts against WBC champion Sebastian Fundora or IBF holder Josh Kelly. However, Crawford suggests that a non-champion might actually pose the greater stylistic threat.
The Reasoning Behind Crawford’s Assessment of Ortiz
This assessment is significant given Sebastian Fundora’s 6ft 6in frame and his demonstrated ability to control range, as seen in his performance against Keith Thurman in March. Crawford, however, prioritizes Ortiz’s relentless pressure and technical jabbing over Fundora’s unconventional angles. This perspective adds a new layer of intrigue to the landscape of the super-welterweight division.“Fundora leaves the door open to getting caught. Vergil — he’s going to be in your face; he’s going to have his hands up; he’s going to be jabbing you with a stiff jab, going to your body.”
Terence Crawford, speaking to All The Smoke Fight
While Crawford maintains that Fundora remains a legitimate danger, he believes Ortiz possesses the specific attributes that would make for a nightmare matchup for Ennis.
