Terrence Crawford's decision not to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis made it clear to fans that he has no intention of passing the torch to young talent, which could be interpreted as a selfish move on his part. There is sex.
Passing the Torch: A Boxing Tradition
In the past, old legends have always fought against the next generation of warriors who come to take the scalp and pass the torch to them so they can become new stars. They were willing to risk their reputations by fighting younger fighters. Below are some examples of older stars fighting the next generation to pass on the torch.
- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- Shane Mosley vs. Canelo Alvarez
- Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes
- Kostya Tzi vs. Ricky Hatton
Crawford has chosen not to fight Boots (31-0, 28 KOs) and there is no way to look at it other than as a selfish move.
It's also hurting Crawford's career because he hasn't had a fight and he's just stalling his career hoping that a fight with Canelo Alvarez will fall out of the sky. That's not happening.
There's talk of Crawford fighting the winner of Tim Tzu vs. Sebastian Fundora, but it won't be as big a fight as the one with Boots. Fundora is not popular, and neither is Australia's Tszyu.
Self-preservation or fear?
It's easy to see why Crawford wants to protect his undefeated record like a mother hen protects her eggs. But if Crawford wants to be seen as a true champion and not a fake one, he'll have to rise to the challenge and face a young shark like Boots Ennis.
It looks like it was an act of self-preservation for Chorford to avoid the boot, which is a shame, especially since he ranks so high on the pound-for-pound list. It robs Crawford of the reputation he has worked so hard to build. If Crawford fails in his fight with Boots, his legacy will be forever tarnished.
