Fury, Crawford, Ennis: the switch-hitters who dominated boxing

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis begins life as a super welterweight tonight when he takes on Uisma Lima for the vacant WBA interim title at 154lbs live on DAZN.

Naturally a conservative fighter, Ennis has had great success adopting a southpaw stance when sparring opponents. Ennis’ ability to overwhelm his opponents has helped him amass a record of 34-0 (30 KOs) as well as two world titles at welterweight.

While this is still not a common sight in boxing, some world champions have used switch-hitting to great effect over the years.

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marvin hagler

Nicknamed Marvelous for a very good reason, Marvin Hagler was a force to be reckoned with at middleweight. In addition to determination and a flamboyant work ethic, Hagler stood out among his peers because of his ability to slide between an orthodox and his more natural southpaw stance.

While being comfortable in any situation naturally gives a fighter an advantage, forcing an opponent to adjust, Hagler took this skill to another level, using it to set up certain shots.

Hagler, at times arrogant, remained in a conservative stance to prove his ability to fight in an unnatural manner. In his final fight against Sugar Ray Leonard, Hagler fought as a conservative for the first round, ultimately losing the contest on a split decision.

He would retire with a record of 62 wins, three losses and two draws, with 52 wins via knockout. Additionally, he reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight division in both the two-belt and three-belt eras, and won 12 consecutive world title bouts.

Terence Crawford

Another natural southpaw, versatile Terence Crawford Like Hagler has not only dominated one weight class – but instead conquered three different divisions altogether.

The holder of all four belts at super lightweight, welterweight and super middleweight, Crawford is a five-division champion and currently looking to achieve more glory at the age of 38. Like Hagler, Crawford is extremely confident in his abilities – prior to his victory over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez he stated that he was the best switch-hitter of all-time.

He told Netflix: “I think I’m the best switch-hitter ever.

“There’s no fighter I can think of that can do this naturally and fight at an extreme level, whether it’s orthodox or southpaw.”

This is not a recent claim, or at least an extension of previous comments in which Crawford claimed he was the best switch-hitter in the world in 2020.

‘Bud’ uses his ability to slip between stances to control the fight, dictate ring position and buy time for his opponents. Rather than having to back up and reset when changing foot position, Crawford is able to change stances between punches, often setting up shots from an orthodox standing position before going for a heavier shot as the southpaw does, and vice versa.

tyson fury

Crawford’s contemporary, tyson fury It has a completely different texture from ‘Bud’. The towering heavyweight is naturally an orthodox fighter, but the ‘Gypsy King’ has often surprised opponents by adopting a southpaw stance.

Already boasting tremendous physical strength and an amazing ability to take a punch and get back on his feet, Fury has confounded veterans with his switch-hitting skills.

Notable wins for Fury using switch-hitting, showcasing excellent footwork for a larger fighter, include his fights with domestic rivals Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora.

Speaking ahead of his 2022 bout with Whyte, Fury explained: “We all know I’m ambidextrous and can punch with both hands, I’ve got knockout wins with my right and left hand, so I’m just sharpening it up and ready to rock and roll.”

Naseem Hameed

Prince Naseem was the king of showboating, and there is arguably no better show off in boxing than being able to change stances at will. Free-spirited and evasive in his actions, it’s no surprise that Naseem Hameed can slip up now and then. Although Hamed was attractive, he was very effective, and this also applied to his switch-hitting.

Naturally elusive, Hamed was unstoppable in the ring, often bouncing between stances as if it were nothing. But the change in stance was not just for show.

He had equal strength in both hands, arguably making him ambidextrous like Fury. Already awkward to tackle with his natural southpaw approach, Hamed can unleash a barrage of punches on opponents simply by adopting an orthodox stance. A world champion at featherweight, Hamed retired with a record of 37 wins and one loss – and with a long legacy of entertainment inside the ring.

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis

The latest fighter to draw attention for his switch-hitting, Ennis is as confident in his abilities as his predecessors.

Unable to fully unify the welterweight division due to his struggles in making weight, ‘Boots’ has already put the 154lbs division on alert that he intends to capture all four belts at super welterweight.

His father and coach, Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis, certainly believes in his son’s potential. He told True School Sports in June 2022: “Boots is powerful on both sides. He can knock you out on the southpaw side or the orthodox side. He’s comfortable, and a lot of times you don’t know when he’s switching.”

Incredibly comfortable between both stances, the 28-year-old Ennis has been a switch-hitter since his debut – starting his first fight in an orthodox stance before switching to his natural southpaw stance within the first minute of his knockout win over Matt Murphy in 2016.

For Ennis, he uses his ability to mix up his stance to deliver straight, powerful shots.

Renowned for his switch-hitting, Ennis was brought into Canelo Alvarez’s camp last month as ideal preparation for Crawford.

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