Can Jaron Ennis replace Terence Crawford as boxing’s pound-for-pound No. 1?

Jaron “Boots” Ennis returns to the ring tonight when he faces Usama Lima in his first fight at super welterweight.

The 28-year-old super-talented Ennis is undefeated in 35 professional bouts, 30 of which he has won via knockout, and is close to breaking into the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings after unifying the welterweight division earlier this year.

Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk currently hold the top two spots on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, but they are both 38 years old and in the final stages of their careers.

boxing is looking for its next generation of superstars, and Ennis looks to fit the role as he enters his prime years.

But could he really be the next face of boxing? Let’s assess what he needs to do to defeat Crawford and become the best fighter on the planet.

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Create a rule for multiple weight divisions

Crawford has separated himself from the chasing pack by dominating multiple weight classes. He has won world titles in five divisions and has been undisputed champion in three.

Ennis has some work to do, but he has time. It should be remembered that Crawford won his first world title at the age of 26 and was forced to wait patiently for opportunities throughout his career.

Then, in the span of 13 months, he captured super welterweight gold before jumping a stone in weight to dethrone him. canelo alvarez Last month at 168 pounds.

Ennis may only be a one-division world champion at the moment, but he has outlined his plans to race through the weight classes in the coming years.

he told inside the ring Earlier this week he said he wanted to become the undisputed champion at 154, 160 and 168 pounds.

It’s an ambitious goal, but if he can accomplish it he would become the second man after Crawford to completely unify three divisions, and it would be hard to deny him the pound-for-pound No. 1 status.

Elite performance every time

This may seem a bit harsh considering Ennis has defeated 30 of his 35 opponents. He has hardly put a step wrong so far.

However, he has allowed his standards to dip at times. She faced Karen Chukhadzyan of Ukraine twice in 2023 and 2024 respectively and went the distance both times.

Particularly in the second fight, Ennis looked somewhat below his shining best and was very easy to kill.

He still got the decision on all three judges’ scorecards, but it was a disjointed performance that caused some to question his pound-for-pound credentials.

Crawford, Usyk and Naoya Inoue – the ‘Big Three’ in the eyes of most boxing fans – shine whenever they step into the ring, delivering a boxing masterclass, a viral knockout, or sometimes both.

If Ennis wants to be the standard-bearer for the next era of boxing, he can’t afford off-nights where he works.

Target super-fights

To be the best, Ennis will have to chase the biggest names. He’s been a professional for almost a decade, but his resume looks a little thin at the moment.

He has beaten respected names like David Avanesyan and Thomas Dulorme, while his performance in his last match against Aimantas Stanionis was special as he worked through the gears effortlessly.

But now he has to go to the next level. Luckily, there are plenty of exciting battles for Ennis to target.

At super welterweight, a super-fight could be in store with Virgil Ortiz Jr., while Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas is a new, hungry champion with a significant fan base.

Up at middleweight, Janibek Alimkhanuli is undefeated and looking for big fights. It would be hard to call it a clash with Aeneas.

And then there’s Crawford. Ennis inherited one of the belts left by Crawford when he moved up from the welterweight division, and has been calling a fight with his countryman for the past two years.

As of right now, Crawford doesn’t seem to be interested in a fight, but the landscape of boxing could change quickly.

Crawford also had to bide his time to prove his greatness before getting his hands on Errol Spence and Canelo. Ennis may feel like he’s just a few big wins away from luring Crawford into the ring with him.

Can Ennis become pound-for-pound No. 1?

Right now it seems very far-fetched. Crawford is at the top, with Usyk and Inoue not far behind, while players like Dmitry Bivol and Jesse Rodriguez have also excelled at the highest level for sustained periods.

Ennis has only been fighting at an elite level over the past two years, and doesn’t have any standout names on his record yet.

But Ennis passes the eyeball test. When he’s in full swing, Ennis is one of the most watched fighters in the world.

He can easily fool his opponents by throwing combinations, and he has power in both hands.

Ennis has all the ingredients to become a superstar. Like Crawford, he needs the stage to show how good he can be, and if he can send off Lima tonight he may get his opportunity as soon as possible.

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