The Biggest Loser From Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford Wasn't Canelo

With Terence Crawford leaving Allegiant Stadium as the undisputed super middleweight champion, much of the boxing landscape has changed. The result creates a lot of intrigue, and one obvious loser not named Canelo Alvarez.

Alvarez certainly lost a lot on Saturday night. He cedes all his titles to Crawford, leaving him without a world title first the first time since 2015. But as poorly as the night went for him, it was even worse for Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.

Without even fighting, Ennis' career took a major hit on Saturday. More specifically, he lost the biggest opportunity that was potentially on the table. The biggest story of Ennis' career over the last year has been his case to be Crawford's next opponent, a narrative that effectively died on Sept. 13.

The fight is not entirely off the table, but it is holding on by a thread. Losing it does not necessarily hurt Ennis' career, but it removes the most lucrative opportunity within his grasp.

Jaron Ennis is the biggest loser from Canelo-Crawford fallout

Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis for the Ring Magazine, IBF World & WBA World Welterweight Titles. | Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Ennis has been a star on the rise for years and is finally starting to turn the corner. His popularity has increased as his title reign progressed, leading to his 154-pound debut in October against Uisma Lima.

Along with Ennis' rise in popularity came the fan push for him to fight Crawford. The two share similar career arcs, doing most of their best work at welterweight, before moving up to 154 pounds in the last year.

At 37, Crawford has been open about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. His activity has taken a nosedive lately, with just two fights since July 2023. At this stage of his career, Crawford is only fighting when it makes sense, and Ennis seemed to fit the bill.

MORE: The Biggest Winner From The Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford Fight Wasn't Crawford

The Alvarez fight certainly fit the bill, but it seemed like just a blip on the radar. Many felt that Crawford would lose as the smaller man. Even with those who believed in his skill set, not many expected a permanent move up to super middleweight.

But throughout the build to the fight, Crawford made it known that he was not taking the fight as a one-off. He dedicated months to putting on an adequate size to make Alvarez respect him as a legitimate 168-pound fighter. The effort was evident in his physique, and 'Bud' looked as smooth as ever while fighting with the added weight.

Ennis' hopes of fighting Crawford went up in flames when he got his hand raised at the end of the night, but it truly died in the post-fight press conference. Crawford rejected any notion that he would return to 154 pounds, saying he would fight out the remainder of his career in his new weight class, if he is returning to the ring at all.

“Would you consider going back down to 154lbs. & face Jaron Ennis?”

Terence Crawford: “No. I ain’t going down to 154lbs.”#Boxing #CaneloCrawford
🥊🥊🥊

🎥: @FightHubTV pic.twitter.com/RGyipH39dE
— Danny (@dantheboxingman) September 14, 2025

Losing Crawford is far from the end for Ennis, but the massive money fight that seemed just within reach is now gone. Perhaps getting the fight was Ennis' motivation for moving up in weight to begin with, but regardless, it is now light years away.

Ennis already has his hands full with Lima, but the betting odds suggest he will handle that fight with ease. Winning that fight is priority No. 1, but Ennis needs to impress in his debut if he is going to become the pay-per-view star he believes he can be.

MORE: ‘Proud’ Canelo Alvarez Releases Classy Statement After Terence Crawford Loss

Should he get past Lima, there are still other lucrative options. Sebastian Fundora seems to have the most momentum in the division, with Xander Zayas and Vergil Ortiz Jr. also presenting valuable opportunities. Ennis fighting any one of those three would be enough to headline a fight card that fans would look forward to.

Regardless of what happens next, the Crawford-Ennis discussions will be almost entirely forgotten about a year from now. It might not have ever meant anything to Crawford, but what seemed like a massive opportunity for Ennis just a few months ago has now evaporated.

The Latest Boxing News