Crawford Tells Ennis To Prove Himself Against Ortiz

Terence Crawford told Jaron Ennis he needs to prove himself against the best at junior middleweight before he earns full recognition as the division's top fighter.

The retired four-division champion questioned Ennis during a DAZN and TNT broadcast Friday night in Newark, asking why he plans to face IBF titleholder Josh Kelly instead of WBC champion Sebastian Fundora or unbeaten contender Vergil Ortiz. "If you step on Fundora, I give you your props [and] if you step on somebody like Vergil," Crawford said, per The Ring. "[Ortiz is] tailormade for your style, but at the same time, you ain't been proven against a style like him."

Ennis Focused On Undisputed Status

Ennis, who stopped Xander Zayas in seven rounds last month to claim the WBA and WBO belts at 154 pounds, told Crawford his goal is unifying all four titles before taking legacy fights. "You're the man when you're undisputed," Ennis said. "That's what I want. I want my legacy stamped in this boxing game." He added that a showdown with Ortiz remains one of the best fights available but said he is uncertain which weight class would host it, with Ortiz expected to move up to middleweight next.

The Philadelphia native and Ortiz were set to collide earlier this year before Golden Boy Promotions secured a restraining order blocking the bout. The two sides settled in July, and Ortiz is slated to return in November. Ennis said he would have preferred facing Fundora before Kelly but confirmed Kelly is next. Fundora defends against mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj on October 17 in Las Vegas.

Crawford warned Ennis what would have happened had they fought while both were active, referencing the knockdowns Zayas scored. Ennis fired back, claiming Crawford would have been easy work. "Can't nobody in this boxing game mess with me at all," Ennis said. "Whoever they put in front of me, I'm gonna keep putting them down."

Source: ringmagazine.com