Terence Crawford Stripped of IBF Title; Jaron Ennis Elevated to Welterweight Champion
Crawford loses IBF title due to rematch clause with Spence, Ennis elevated to champion after IBF refuses to recognize rematch clauses as exceptions to mandatory defenses.
- Terence Crawford was stripped of his IBF title due to a rematch clause with Errol Spence Jr., which the IBF does not recognize as an exception to mandatory defenses. Crawford still holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO belts.
- Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, previously the interim champion, has been elevated to the IBF welterweight champion. Ennis has a record of 31-0, with 28 knockouts.
- Crawford's stripping of the title comes after he won the 147-pound belt from Spence in July, becoming the undisputed welterweight champion. However, the IBF ordered Crawford to defend against Ennis, which conflicted with his rematch clause with Spence.
- Spence has only made one IBF mandatory defense since winning the title in May 2017. He has suffered two serious injuries and fought seven times, with three of those fights being unifications.
- The winner of the upcoming bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship will face a similar issue with the IBF, as the winner must face Filip Hrgovic next or be stripped of the title due to a rematch clause.
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