By: Hans Themistode
With nearly a decade and a half of experience in the ring at the pro level, Terence Crawford admits to seeing the light at the end of his Hall of Fame tunnel.
Still, even with the end of his road drawing closer, the current WBO welterweight belt holder believes he has plenty left to accomplish. At the top of his long list of goals, is a dream of one day becoming an undisputed champion for the second time in his career.
Should the Omaha, Nebraska, native be successful, he’ll look to hang up his gloves and avoid fighting into his late 30s. While Crawford is considered by most as the best fighter in the division, many have begun to take notice of Jaron Ennis.
The 24-year-old 147-pound contender has continued to see his stock soar. Most recently, in what was considered step-up bouts, Ennis easily took care of business against respected veteran Thomas Dulorme and former champion, Sergey Lipinets, stopping both well before the final bell.
Though Ennis has only just begun to receive his just due, Crawford reveals that he’s always had an eye on him. In fact, with numerous close friends juxtaposing both fighters, Crawford is openly admitting that the Philadelphian could be well on his way to stardom.
“He’s very talented,” said Crawford during an interview on The Porter Way Podcast Clips. “Dude got skills. I been watching dude since he was an amateur. Him coming up, that’s somebody that they always used to compare to me because he can go both ways and stuff like that. As I kept watching him, I’m like man, this dude’s good. I always said he’s very talented. I take my hat off to him. He’s doing what he needs to do to get his name out there. He’s going to be the next one up as well.”
At the age of 34, and coming off the most impressive win of his career, a tenth-round stoppage over former two-time titlist Shawn Porter, Crawford is more interested in facing the upper echelon of the division. Still, while Crawford’s current career path makes it incredibly unlikely that he ever steps into the ring with Ennis, he isn’t ruling it out completely.
“You never know what the future may hold.”