IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) is better off staying at 147 than trying to gamble at 154 in the shark-infested waters of that deep division. Staying at 147 is Boot Ennis’ best shot at stardom, and he has a much better chance of staying undefeated than if he moves up.
It doesn’t matter that Ennis never makes the welterweight division. Just holding on to his one piece of real estate with his IBF belt is like grabbing other belts against obscure champions, who don’t have the skills to hold those belts.
Casual fans know nothing about Mario Barrios, Eimantas Stanionis, and Brian Norman Jr. Therefore, there is no advantage for the Boots to consolidate the division against these well-known belt holders. Those fighters may have trinket titles because the average fan doesn’t know who they are, and no doubt they will.
“Karen was asking for this fight. He went through the process of making this happen. You fight those stupid IBF fighters who put you in a position to get this kind of opportunity,” said Chris Mannix speaking to DAZN Boxing about Karen Chukhadzhian seeking a rematch with IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
“I don’t blame him for that because he might be earning six as he was paid for his last two fights. The real problem is the organization that allows something like this to happen. That allows the guy who got his [backside] he’s kicked over 12 rounds to fight a few low quality fights to get back into the position of being a mandatory contender,” Mannix continued of Chukhadzhian.
Of course, Chukhadzhian wanted a rematch with Boots Ennis because that’s a title and a guaranteed payday for more money than he was getting fighting the 24 fights he defeated to build his 24-2 record. If the International Boxing Federation is going to make it easier for fights to be mandatory bouts without having to fight someone dangerous, why wouldn’t Chukhadzhian take advantage of this opportunity?
“They kicked the tires on 154 [Team Ennis] he talked about the Charles Conwell fight,” Mannix said of Ennis and his team considering going up to 154 but changing their minds. “They talk about fighting other guys when he’s 154. There hasn’t been a big fight for him at 154, and right now, that belt is money. If you are a champion, you can do other things with it.”
What Mannix can say is that the fights Ennis may find themselves in could be very difficult and dangerous for him to lose. Indeed, none of the 154 famous fighters could guarantee Boot Ennis a mega-million payday. However, what is also true is that there are those in the 154 who could beat Ennis, and they did it brutally by knocking him out. Ennis could be knocked out if he steps up and fights these big hitters:
– Serhii Bohachuk
– Bakhram Murtazaliev
– Israel Madrimov
– Vergil Ortiz Jr.
– Sebastian Fundora
– Charles Conwell
We saw what ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov did to Terence Crawford. He overpowered the Omaha, Nebraska, native, who stained his face so badly that he looked like he had been beaten. Whatever ambition Crawford had about becoming the undisputed champion at 154 was dashed from him by the punishment he took on Madrimov.
Boot Ennis would get the same treatment, but he might not agree. He wasn’t going to run around the ring like Crawford did to survive Madrimov’s big teams. Ennis was actually trying to fight back, and that could end badly for him.
“You can look at it and say, ‘Okay, Brian Norman. That’s right, Stanionis. That’s right, Barrios. The year is 2025. Let’s start over, find these conversations, and make this merger happen. “Boot’s style of big fights still affects him to have that belt,” said Mannix.
Holding the IBF title doesn’t guarantee that Ennis will get unification fights with any of those champions unless his promoter, Eddie Hearn, comes up with some interesting ideas for those fighters. Hearn has shown no desire to pay the kind of money other champions are asking to face Boot.
If Ennis vacates his IBF title and moves up to 154, there is no guarantee he will be the same fighter at that division. They hit hard at junior middleweight, and the division is full of talented fighters like Ennis. That may be the reason why Ennis and his father chose not to relinquish the IBF belt.
They know that life can be difficult for 154and Ennis may crack once he starts to feel the power of killers Bakhram Murtazaliev, Israil Madrimov, Vergil Ortiz Jr, and Serhii Bohachuk. You can count out the veteran, Terence Crawford because he has stopped fighting young talent after hearing how strong and hungry they are at 154 in his fight with Madrimov on August 3. Crawford is now waiting for an offer from Canelo Alvarez. If he doesn’t get that fight, he will probably retire.
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