Norman Sr. then went on to call Ennis “a great gym fighter” while questioning the stories that have followed him from sparring sessions in Philadelphia for years.
“He’s a great gym fighter for me,” Norman Sr. said. “That whole aura when you’re in your hometown. Everyone in the gym stops looking like it’s unbelievable. But guess what? Nobody’s going to get hurt. Nobody’s going to sleep.”
Norman Sr. argued that Ennis did not face the level of competition that would warrant the constant comparisons to Crawford. He pointed out that Crawford took tough fights against undefeated opponents earlier in his career while saying Ennis was given a different path.
“No, because they really offered the man to fight,” Norman Sr. said. said about a possible Crawford-Ennis fight. “He clearly said we’re loyal to Espinosa. You’re talking about a guy who hasn’t fought anyone like this to this day.”
Norman Sr.
“Stanionis was his biggest test, and he passed with flying colors,” says Norman Sr. “But you’re talking about a guy who’s never been tested.”
For Norman Sr. is that the real problem with the hype surrounding Ennis. He believes fans and media crowned him before he faced enough elite-level opponents to prove he belongs in the same conversation as Crawford.
“We haven’t had a chance to see him show off in front of anybody because he hasn’t been in the ring with anybody of his caliber,” Norman Sr. said.
