Matchroom Boss Eddie Hearn will have a spring in his step after signing unbeaten IBF welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis to a multi-fight deal.
Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) was upgraded from interim to full champion in November when the IBF stripped Terence Crawford. Crawford opted for what turned out to be an ill-fated rematch with Errol Spence Jr. as opposed to meeting Ennis, who was his mandatory challenger.
Highly touted, the boxing world eagerly anticipates “Boots’” next move.
“Wow – What a signing!” said Hearn. “I’ve watched this young man for many years, and I always believed he would become a pound-for-pound great, and I have no doubt he is already the greatest fighter in the division. To win the race to sign Jaron is a massive coup for Matchroom Boxing and DAZN.
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“Holding the IBF title in one of boxing’s glamour divisions places Jaron front and center for some of the biggest fights out there in the sport, and we plan to deliver them for him.”
The Sporting News looks at some of the options available to “Boots” Ennis.
Despite no official announcement, it was reported last month by numerous sources that Ennis has signed on to face mandatory challenger Cody Crowley in May.
Crowley, who hails from Canada, is unbeaten in 22 starts, but the 31-year-old lefty has never mixed with anyone in Ennis’ class.
Matchroom has announced Ennis’ next bout will be announced in due course. Expect it to be Crowley up next.
While the unbeaten Benn isn’t rated by the IBF, he could be the perfect dance partner for Ennis later in the year.
Up until Matchroom signed Ennis, Benn was the company’s premier welterweight attraction. A fight between the pair would do huge business and attract fans on both sides of the pond.
However, Benn’s never-ending battle with UKAD over two failed drug tests in 2022 continues to blunt his world title ambitions. The Englishman will need to sort that situation out before pursuing “Boots” in earnest.
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For now, that ship appears to have sailed.
Since the Spence rematch capitulated, Crawford’s calls for a fight against undisputed super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez have fallen on deaf ears, and he appears to have no interest in facing welterweights.
Bud’s decision to activate his WBO super champion privilege and be rated No. 1 at 154 pounds tells us where he’s heading. Expect the pound-for-pound king to make his super welterweight debut in the summer.
If it ever happens, a fight between Crawford and Ennis takes place in that division.
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A large majority of Spence fans and media members believe Spence’s days as a welterweight are over.
“The Truth” still holds a No. 5 position with the IBF at 147 pounds, but all signs point to him following Crawford into the super welterweight division.
Spence is 34 years old now, and boiling himself down to the 147-pound division for a fighter of Ennis’ quality is probably not the best idea in the world.
Again, if we see Ennis vs. Spence, it’s unlikely to happen at welterweight.
