Father time may be unbeaten, but it has a lost few rounds en route to victory. On Saturday, August 2, a crafty, 36-year-old Terence Crawford made his debut at super welterweight against WBA champion Israil Madrimov. While the former undisputed welterweight champion was undoubtedly a favorite heading into the fight, many expected Madrimov to pose one of the toughest tests of his career. After ten rounds, Madrimov found himself tied with the highly-touted Crawford and had a chance to win heading into the championship rounds. Despite his trainer’s passionate please to let his hands go in the final rounds, it was the 16-year pro who turned up the heat in the final two rounds. Landing 22 punches to Madrimov’s 17 in the final six minutes, Crawford earned a close, decision win in his super welterweight debut.
Looking ahead, Crawford can choose from a variety of opponents. As he has stated before, he’d love to move up to super middleweight and challenge Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but it seems as if that fight is not going to happen in the immediate future. However, there are a number of opponents that he could choose from in the super welterweight division. As the Omaha native inches toward an expected return in February, here are five opponents the undefeated fighter could share the ring with next.
Sebastian Fundora
Age: 26
Record: 21-1 (13 KOs)
Most Recent Opponent: Def. Tim Tszyu (SD, 12)
Sebastian Fundora has had a less than conventional route to the top of the super welterweight division. At the end of 2022, the six-foot-six, long-armed power puncher was 20-0 with 13 knockouts, including wins against Erickson Lubin and Sergio Garcia. Then, everything changed. Through six rounds, Fundora was leading on all scorecards when Brian Mendoza sent him to the Shadow Realm with a flurry of punches. As fate would have it, the previously unbeaten prospect would not need to take a “bounce back” fight to get his career back on track. He just needed to take some time off.
A few months after knocking out Fundora, Brian Mendoza suffered his first loss at the hands of WBO Super Welterweight Champion Tim Tszyu. On March 30, 2024, Tim Tszyu planned to fight former welterweight champion Keith Thurman. However, an injury forced Thurman out of the fight and allowed Fundora to step in as a replacement. Despite losing the first few rounds, a gruesome cut on Tszyu’s head paired with a newfound commitment to fighting on the outside allowed Fundora to capture the WBC Super Welterweight Championship.
Immediately after the fight, Fundora faced off with former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., hinting at a fight that could take place this fall. However, there may be a more lucrative alternative. If Crawford is unable to get in the ring with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in February, Fundora is a plausible replacement. He’s got a name within boxing circles, a fairly marketable personality and most importantly, a world title and an interim world title. If Crawford wants to become the next undisputed super welterweight champion, he’ll have to go through Fundora.
Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Age: 26
Record: 21-0 (21 KOs)
Most Recent Opponent: Def. Thomas Dulorme (KO, 1)
As far back as 2021, Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum and Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya have discussed the possibility of putting together a blockbuster clash starring Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz Jr. While the two have moved up in weight and Crawford has cut ties with Top Rank, there is still a possibility that these two men could get in the ring with each other. However, a few things need to happen. First, Vergil Ortiz Jr. must get by Serhii Bohachuk on Saturday, August 10. Then, Ortiz Jr. will either need Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh to call for a fight with Crawford or he’ll need to fight Bakhram Murtazaliev and pick up a world title to entice Crawford.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis
Age: 27
Record: 32-0 (29 KOs)
Most Recent Opponent: Def. David Avanesyan (TKO, 5)
IBF Welterweight Champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis has spent the last few years positioning himself for a world title fight with Errol Spence Jr. or Terence Crawford. As fate would have it, both Crawford and Spence Jr. shared the ring for an undisputed welterweight title fight last summer and appear to have no interest in returning to the division. Now, Ennis is left with a tough decision. He could attempt to fight the likes of Brian Norman Jr. and Mario Barrios and become an undisputed champion in the welterweight division or he could step up in weight and begin campaigning for a fight with Crawford.
In what is likely the final chapter of his legendary career, Crawford seems to be pushing for “big money” fights that will enhance his legacy. Well, is Ennis a more attractive fight for Crawford as an undisputed welterweight champion moving up in weight or a super welterweight contender with a deep resume? At this point, Ennis is a known commodity within boxing circles with a growing presence outside of the ring through his new promoter, Eddie Hearn, and his relationship with Gillie Da Kid and Wallo267 of Million Dollaz Worth Of Game. Inside of the ring, he needs the type of opponents that would test him and provide an opportunity to further validate the praise being heaped upon him.
Errol Spence Jr.
Age: 34
Record: 28-0 (22 KOs)
Most Recent Opponent: Terence Crawford (L—TKO, 9)
Nearly 13 months ago, Errol Spence Jr. stood alongside Terence Crawford in the welterweight division. As the two made their way into the ring at T-Mobile Arena for a highly-anticipated title fight, betting odds were nearly even as some questioned Crawford could overcome Spence Jr.’s strength, precision and endurance. Little did the world of boxing know, it was Spence Jr. who would struggle to overcome the former 140-pound champion’s strength and power. Since Crawford handed the Texas native his first professional loss, Spence Jr. has made an effort to stay away from the limelight. He stepped back from an immediate rematch with the Omaha native, cut ties with his trainer, Derrick James, and moved up in weight.
Earlier this year, Spence Jr. made his way back to Sin City and watched Sebastian Fundora dethrone super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu. Immediately after the fight concluded, the “Big Fish” made his way into the ring and met with the newly crowned champion, insinuating the two would fight later in the year. With nearly two-thirds of the year in the rearview, it doesn’t seem like Fundora and Spence Jr. will be getting into the ring anytime soon. While it’s incredibly unlikely that Spence Jr. will fight Crawford again within the next year, if at all, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. If the former unified welterweight champion is able to knock off Fundora, Tszyu or Ennis in a 154-pound bout, he could put himself in position to become a champion and lure Crawford into a rematch at a new weight.
Tim Tszyu
Age: 29
Record: 24-1 (17 KOs)
Most Recent Opponent: Sebastian Fundora (L—SD, 12)
A lot can happen within the span of 12 months. One year ago, it looked as if Tim Tszyu would be sharing the ring with Jermell Charlo in a major Las Vegas showdown. Then, it looked as if he would be sharing the ring with his PBC stablemate, Errol Spence Jr., or two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford. A Keith Thurman injury, a cut on his head and a split decision loss later, Tim Tszyu appears to be the odd man out. He is still dealing with the aftermath of a nasty cut atop his head, his first professional loss and the loss of a world title. In short, he’s a tough opponent with a reduced commercial draw in the U.S. in a division full of promising young contenders, reigning world champions and commercial draws. Still, he is one of the five or six better fighters in the weight class and has the ability to sell in Australia, a nation where Crawford fought for a world title previously. It’s unlikely that Tszyu will be in the ring with Crawford anytime in the immediate future, but it’s not impossible and sometimes all you need is a chance.
