Terence Crawford’s coach, Bernie Davis, wants to know why Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is fighting Uisma Lima on October 11, 2025, when he’s considered to be a hybrid of Roy Jones Jr. and Crawford. He also wants to know why ‘Boots’ needs a tune-up at 154 to get ready for Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Hearn Saw It Coming
His promoter, Eddie Hearn, already explained everything 100 times. It’s not that Ennis wanted a tune-up. He wanted to lock himself in as the WBA mandatory so that he could force a fight against the champion, which, up until late last month, was Crawford. He was sitting on the WBA title, not defending it for over a solid year after winning it on August 3, 2024, against Israil Madrimov.
“If I’m Terence Crawford, I’m vacating now. Because when we become mandatory [after the Lima fight], we’re calling that fight on, and then he’s gonna have to vacate the belt once Boots is mandatory. That’s not a great look,” said Hearn to DAZN.
The WBA Hot Potato
Hearn predicted everything. He saw it all before it transpired, reading Crawford like a book. Eddie knew exactly what Bud would do like a person who predicts the future. That WBA title was like a hot potato that Terence couldn’t get rid of fast enough after ‘Boots’ was locked in for a WBA title eliminator against Lima for his belt.
“Why does he need tune-up fights to fight Vergil Ortiz? Why did he try to fight Devin at 152?” said coach Bernie Davis to MillCity Boxing about Jaron Ennis. “Why didn’t he take the Teo fight? Why aren’t you chasing Fundora?”
“You had the IBF. Why are you not fighting Murtazalev, who looked like a monster? Why are you fighting Lima when you’re a Roy Jones and Terence Crawford hybrid?” said Davis.
It’s very easy to explain. Ennis and Eddie Hearn wanted the big crawfish to battle for the WBA title he held. That’s why he agreed to fight in a WBA 154-lb title eliminator against Uisma Lima. He could have gone for the WBC title that Sebastian Fundora, IBF strap in the possession of Bakhram Murtazaliev. To catch a crawfish, you got to trap it, and that’s what Ennis was fixing to do.
The Mandatory Trap
Crawford held the WBA title until last month, on September 20, and he was the big game that ‘Boots’ was targeting.
“Nobody,” said Davis when told that Zab Judah said ‘Nobody is [messing] with Crawford.’
If “nobody” can mess with Crawford, why isn’t he fighting Ennis to prove it? ‘Boots’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, already said they want to fight him. He’s using Uisma Lima as a launching pad to face Crawford.
What I want to know is why Crawford decided to vacate his WBA 154-lb title on September 20th after Ennis was scheduled to fight Lima in a WBA title eliminator for his belt. The Ennis vs. Lima fight was signed and announced on August 11, 2025, to determine Crawford’s mandatory?
Williams’ Verdict: The Real Reason Bud Ran
Was it a coincidence that Terence vacated his title after the Ennis-Lima fight was signed as a WBA title eliminator, or a calculated move on his part to maneuver out of danger to avoid the young ‘Boots,’ who could mess up his unbeaten record, and his campaign to be seated among the four at the table on the Mount Rushmore of boxing? it doesn’t look good.
Last Updated on 10/06/2025
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