From the beginning, Derek “Bozy” Ennis was a fan of Terence Crawford. But following the pound-for-pound king's latest accomplishment, his level of admiration only increased.

Viewed as a slight underdog heading into his September 13 showdown against Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) proved that fighting at 168 pounds was no big deal.

For 36 minutes, Ennis watched closely as the Omaha, Nebraska, native boxed, moved, and grooved his way to a decision. Now, after becoming the first male undisputed champion in three separate divisions, Ennis believes that Crawford has solidified himself among the sport’s best.

“Terence can fight, and he can box,” Ennis told YSM Sports Media. “He takes chances. That’s how you be great. I think he’s great. He’s one of the greatest ever.”

Ennis was hoping to get Crawford to fight his son, former unified welterweight champ-turned-junior middleweight contender Jaron Ennis. However, at this stage, that appears to be a pipe dream.

For now, his son will focus on Uisma Lima, his upcoming opponent, while Crawford attempts to figure out his next move.

But before Crawford officially closes the door on his brief rivalry with Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), the elder Ennis continues to replay that historic September night in his mind. He can't say enough about Crawford's sublime performance.

“He won mostly every round,” Ennis said. “You can give Canelo two rounds, but nothing more than that. Terence is great.”