Bozy Weighs in on Fighter Avoidance: It’s Business, Not Fear
Trainer Derek “Bozy” Ennis dismisses the notion that fighters shy away from opponents due to fear. He emphasizes that it is often a strategic business decision.
Bozy, the father of IBF champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, has observed top-tier fighters actively avoiding his son. Boxing fans pointed fingers at unified champion Terence Crawford, one-time unified champion Errol Spence Jr., and Keith Thurman for allegedly dodging a matchup with Boots.
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In an interview with MillCity Boxing, Bozy elucidated the rationale behind fighters’ decision-making.
“I don’t go for that scary stuff; ain’t nobody scared of nobody. A lot of times it’s business, you know what I mean. It’s nothing personal; it’s business. I mean, a lot of guys don’t want to take a chance because they are trying to get this big money fight. Some of them are trying to get out of the game.”
“People going around telling them fighters are scared. Man, no fighters get scared of no other fighters. I don’t go for that type of shit, man, you know what I mean . . . you wouldn’t be in this game if you were scared . . . I understand some fighters pick certain guys that they like to fight, and like they say, high risk, low reward . . . I don’t say that’s being scared.”
The elder Ennis makes a valid point. Crawford faced criticism for looking passed Boots to fight then-undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo for a more lucrative reward.
In the business side of boxing, plans are pre-made, and a fighter’s trajectory does not always align with fan expectations.
