Let’s be honest. How many actually gave Uisma Lima any chance of victory? He faced Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in the latter’s backyard. Maybe, as a ranked contender, a few would have expected Lima to give Ennis a tough fight and take him the distance. The bout at the Wells Fargo Center ended almost as soon as it began when Ennis thrashed the daylights out of Lima in the first round.

After the fight, some interesting developments emerged. Euphoric over the win, fans didn’t miss the opportunity to pull in one name long associated with Jaron Ennis – Terence Crawford. The Nebraskan currently rules the boxing world. Last month’s win over Canelo Alvarez has made Crawford the new pound-for-pound king. Given their shared history, when the two nearly faced off in a welterweight clash, emotions still run high whenever talk of a potential matchup resurfaces.

Jaron Ennis already Boot-ing up!

“BOOTS WITH A FIRST-ROUND STATEMENT 🤯.  What a talent Jaron Ennis is; for everyone doubting him, he’s just silenced the critics. Incredible 🔥,” read one Instagram post. With a minute still to go in the round, Boots Ennis took Lima to the cleaners with a crisp left hook and a one-two combination.

The Portuguese fighter managed to beat the count, but another Boots flurry dropped him again. It soon became clear how the fight would end. Finally, Ennis unleashed a barrage that forced the referee to step in and wave it off.

Ennis first became an interim welterweight champion in January 2023. A few months later, Crawford defeated Errol Spence Jr. to become the division’s undisputed champion. A possible showdown with Ennis, who was Crawford’s mandatory challenger, briefly emerged. However, the rematch clause with Spence Jr. complicated matters. Later, Crawford’s pursuit of the Canelo fight took him up to 154 pounds. Thus, the potential Ennis fight became one of boxing’s most anticipated ‘what ifs.’

While some fans took potshots at Crawford, others needed a bit more convincing.

Bud in the hot seat

Jaron Ennis’ emphatic victory persuaded one fan: “Crawford don’t wanna see this … I’m bn honest.” Still, the question remains. Ennis made a dominant 154-pound debut. But is he willing to stay at light middleweight and unify, or will he chase Crawford? And would Crawford even consider moving back down to 154?

A Crawford supporter countered the hype: “Crawford by any way he wants…” Barring a slight physical advantage, can Ennis truly outbox a generational talent like Terence Crawford?

Another user added, “Crawford smacking him.” It’s far too early to speculate about Crawford vs. Ennis. Still, given how the Nebraskan outwitted Canelo, who trained with Ennis, the chances of Boots upsetting the undisputed champion anytime soon seem slim.

Despite Ennis’ dominant performance, a few fans spotted flaws in his game. “He better not talk about Crawford cause I saw several holes and openings where Terrence would tear that a– up. I love Boots tho just don’t want to see him get demolished,” this user said.

A more realistic possibility soon surfaced: “He said Ortiz next; I can’t wait for that fight.” With Ortiz Jr. already holding the WBC interim title and Ennis now the WBA interim champion, that matchup seems both feasible and exciting.

After Lima, a win over someone like Ortiz Jr. would cement Ennis’ legitimacy at 154 pounds.

Next, he could call out Bakhram Murtazaliev, WBA belt holder Abass Baraou, Xander Zayas, or even Sebastian Fundora once he recovers from injury. On the strength of one win over a ranked contender, though, it might be too soon for Ennis to chase Terence Crawford.

What’s your take? Is Boots Ennis ready for Bud Crawford?