IBF strips Crawford of welterweight title, ending undisputed status
Jaron Ennis elevated from interim to full titleholder
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
Pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford’s stint as the undisputed welterweight champion did not last long as he has been stripped of the IBF title.
In a corresponding move made by the IBF, Jaron “Boots” Ennis has been elevated from interim titleholder to the full titlist.
Crawford became the undisputed champion in dominating fashion. He knocked down Errol Spence Jr. three times en route to a one-sided ninth-round knockout victory in their long-awaited four-belt unification fight on July 29 in the main event of a PBC Showtime PPV card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Crawford retained the WBO title and won the WBC, WBA and IBF 147-pound belts that Spence held.
Crawford, who still holds the other three belts and The Ring magazine championship, and Spence each had the contractual right to an immediate rematch and soon after the fight Spence invoked his right to one.
Upgrade to a paid subscription for full access to all posts and comments — and help support independent journalism
The IBF explained the reasons for stripping Crawford in a statement to Fight Freaks Unite on Thursday.
“On August 25, the IBF sent a letter to (Crawford’s) TBC Promotions directing Terence Crawford to begin negotiations with interim champion Jaron Ennis.,” the statement said. “Negotiations were to be concluded by September 24. On September 22, the IBF received an email from (attorney) Harrison Whitman representing Crawford indicating that the agreement for the Spence v. Crawford bout contains an immediate rematch provision which Errol Spence has exercised. As such, Terrence Crawford is unable to engage in negotiations with Jaron Ennis.”
The IBF then cited its Rule 3.B related to “return bouts.”
The rule states: No contract for a championship contest shall contain any clause or any provision whatsoever guaranteeing or in any way assuring or promising either contestant a return championship contest where such clause or provision interferes with the mandatory defense of a title.
“Based on the forgoing, the IBF has withdrawn recognition of Terence Crawford as the IBF welterweight world champion,” the IBF said.
The resounding victory by Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, over Spence (28-1, 22 KOs), 33, of DeSoto, Texas, pushed him to No. 1 pound-for-pound on most lists and made him the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era, having also fully unified the junior welterweight division in 2017.
While Crawford and Spence were hashing out their deal, the IBF agreed to sanction an interim title bout between Ennis and massive underdog Karen Chukhadzhian. They squared off on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia Showtime PPV undercard on Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C.
Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs), 26, of Philadelphia, cruised to a shutout decision — 120-108 on all three scorecards — to claim the vacant interim title, which he defended by 10th-round knockout of Roiman Villa in the main event of a Showtime card on July 8 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
A note to subscribers
I sincerely appreciate your readership. If you’re reading, it means you love boxing just like I do. If you’ve been reading you also know the quality and quantity of what I produce. It’s one-stop shopping. Read the newsletters and there is no need to search multiple websites or click a multitude of links to get the latest news, opinion and detailed fight schedule. Everything you need is in one spot and delivered directly to your inbox (or via phone alert if you download for free the superb Substack app). You don’t have to hunt for the news; it comes to you.
I believe that is worth something, so while I will continue providing stories, notes and the schedule for free, I encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription for the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 23 years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.
To upgrade your subscription please go here:
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Crawford photo: Ryan Hafey/PBC
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
I’m already tired of the Boots reign.
Congratulations to old azz prospect Boots. Only few months younger than Jaime Munguía. Who’s got the far better resume btw? Christmas came early. Maybe now Boots can finally fight someone dangerous.