Trainer Stephen Edwards feels that no one at 147 can give Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis any challenge now.
(Credit: Amanda Westcott/Matchroom)
A Barren Landscape at Welterweight
Edwards notes that all the top fighters used to campaign at welterweight, like Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, and Vergil Ortiz, have all moved up to 154.
Of the top welterweights that remain in the division, Eimantis Stanionis and Mario Barios would be 4-1 underdogs against Boots (31-0, 28 KOs). He’s the Alexander the Great of 147 with “No more worlds to conquer‘ in the division.
Ennis needs to move up to 154 if he wants to get the bigger fights that elude him at welterweight, but he and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, seem reluctant to do so. Although they speak in bold terms, there’s a lack of ambition in both.
Boots is defending his IBF welterweight title this Saturday night, July 13th, against former Terence Crawford knockout victim David Avanesyan (30-4-1, 18 KOs) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
Ennis vs. Avanesyan: A Foregone Conclusion?
“The only one that is going to be looked at as a challenge for Boots right now at 147 is literally nobody,” said Stephen Edwards to Millcity Boxing, talking about the welterweight division being barren, without anyone for Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to fight that will give him problems.
Boots is adamant about his decision to stay put at 147 and try to collect all the belts. He wants to become undisputed and refuses to move up to 154 until he’s accomplished his goal. It’s admirable that he wants to follow in the footsteps of Terence Crawford, but it’s silly and self-defeating.
The goal would be worthy of his completely talented champions that fans would want to see him fight, but they are not.
“There’s nobody at 147 where people can look at and go, ‘That guy can beat him.’ They’re not. Errol and Bud moved up,” said Edwards. “Vergil Ortiz moved up. There’s nobody at 147 that would be less than a 4-1 underdog against Boots.”
Ennis would be a massive favorite against Barrios, Stanionis, and Brian Norman Jr. The only one of those three that would trouble Ennis is Norman, and that’s only because he can punch, is tough, and is young.
“Even if he fought Mario Barrios or Stanionis. Stanionis would be the closest one. Any of those guys would be a 4-1 or more against him. That’s how dominant the eyeball test and the Vegas oddsmakers look at him,” said Edwards.
Stanionis wouldn’t give Boots any trouble, and it would be a one-sided beat down, with Ennis battering him until he got the stoppage. I don’t know that any of those champions would want to fight Ennis unless they’re offered life-changing money.
“Tell me a guy that they can look at him, ‘Oh, he can beat him.’ There’s not one. Is it going to be like Bud beating Errol? Heck no,” said Edwards when asked if Boots Ennis would receive credit for beating Avanesyan.
Edwards is right about there not being anyone that people would pick to give Boots trouble in the welterweight division. That’s why he should move up to 154 to go after the big dogs. If Boots wants to fight in Saudi Arabia and make the big money, moving up to 154 is the direction he needs to go.
“Boots’ last opponent was a good puncher. Roiman Villa could punch,” said Edwards when asked if Avanesyan was good as Ennis’ last opponent in July 2023.
Villa was a good opponent for Boots, and he had all he could handle before knocking out that guy in the tenth round. If Boots moved up to 154, he would have to face a lot of opponents with even better power than Villa, and it would be tough but worth it.
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