UNDEFEATED knockout artist Jaron Ennis may Canelo Alvarez’s secret weapon to solving Terence Crawford’s switch-hitting style.
Crawford – who glides from the orthodox to southpaw stance like one else before – faces Canelo on Saturday in Las Vegas.
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And Canelo has called upon the services of 34-0 former welterweight world champion Ennis as a sparring partner in preparation.
Ennis – like Crawford – switches stances with ease and retired great Shawn Porter believes it is quite possibly Canelo’s greatest trump card yet.
“That’s excellent work,” Porter said on his podcast.
“I always say this, when you’re training for a championship fight you need something that is going to raise your level. You never know exactly what it is.
“It could be running in the mountains, it could be a specific sparring partner that you have.”
Porter was beaten by Crawford in 2021 and the two formed a bond afterwards – but even the ex-welterweight champ fears for his former foe.
“I personally think this move right here got me a little concerned about my boy,” he said.
“Because this dude right here is the goods, has the ability to do a lot of what Canelo is going to see on fight night.
“And all (Canelo) needs is a couple of reps seeing it and it’s not often you can find someone that can duplicate who you’re getting in the ring with.”
Crawford, 37, himself admits he was GLAD to see Canelo, 35, bring in the elite sparring of Ennis.
“He’s fighting the best fighter in the world — he better be taking it seriously,” Crawford said.
“That goes to show how serious he’s taking me, how much he respects me.
“Because if I haven’t fought anyone, if I was too small, all of these things the media says I am, he wouldn’t need these guys to help prepare to fight me.
“He wouldn’t need all of the help that he’s been getting. I’m happy that he’s getting the help that he needs.
“After September 13, there won’t be any excuses.”
Porter believes if Canelo was pulling a PR stunt – he certainly would have got his money’s worth once the sparring commenced.
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“There’s no way he’s just bringing him in the for the cameras,” he said.
“You might have wanted to bring him in for the cameras but a round and a half you’re going to realise, I need to turn it up for this young lion because this dude acts like he ain’t got no sense, he’s switching every which way, he’s giving Canelo a fantastic look ahead of this fight.’
Ennis – who jumps up to 154 on October 11 against Uisma Lima in a Philadelphia homecoming – broke his silence on the sparring.
“I went out there not only to help, but I went out there for myself,” Ennis, 28, told YSM Sports Media.
“Basically to start my first two weeks of camp out there with the elevation and all that. That was phenomenal. This was for me.
“It was for nobody else. I went out there, I got the experience, I shared the ring with Canelo, and like I said—we was having fun.
“I had a great time.”
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