Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis claims he’ll capture the #1 pound-for-pound spot in “one or two fights.” If that prediction comes true, he must have bagged a win over Terence Crawford or a couple of the top 154-pounders, like Bakhram Murtazaliev.
The quickest way for Ennis to grab the #1 spot would be to defeat Crawford, but since the Nebraska native has no interest in fighting him, he doesn’t have that option. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh could make that fight happen if he were to offer Crawford a lot of money, but it would likely be too expensive to make it worth pursuing.
If Boots is going to rapidly grab the #1 pound-for-pound spot, he will need to light a fire under his promoter Eddie Hearn’s backside to match him against big enough names to get him there. Hearn won’t be able to help Boots by coming up with the dough needed for him to fight all the champions at 147.
The reality is that it will probably take Ennis three to five years to become #1 pound-for-pound, given his stubborn insistence on unifying the welterweight division before moving up to 154 to begin facing the talented opposition.
If Ennis were brave and willing to take risks with his career now, he would need to move up to 154 immediately and fight these types of killers to grab the #1 P4P spot:
– Bakhram Murtazaliev
– Vergil Ortiz Jr.
– Sebastian Fundora
– Israil Madrimov
– Serhii Bohachuk
– Tim Tszyu
– Charles Conwell
– Erickson Lubin
Boots Ennis needs to move up to 154 for his next two fights because the 147-lb division lacks talented fighters known to the boxing public.
Even if Ennis were to capture the three remaining titles by beating champions Eimantas Stanionis, Brian Norman Jr., and Mario Barrios, there’s no chance that he’ll grab the #1 P4P spot because those are belt-holders who have been maneuvered into winning those titles by their promoters.
Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) is spinning his wheels at 147, defending his IBF welterweight title against Karek Chukhadzhian in a rematch on November 9th. Boots, 27, already beat Chukhadzhan last year in January by a wide 12-round unanimous decision, and fans have no interest in this match.
“My main objective was to get these belts. I was pushing hard to get these belts to be undisputed or at least unify. That was my goal. Those things fell out, and I had to fight my mandatory,” Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis said to Ariel Helwani’s channel, talking about his disappointment of facing Karen Chukhadzhian in a rematch on November 9th.
“As long as I’m still fighting and keeping busy, that’s the whole thing. Those belts are going to come. I’m going to grab those belts next year,” Ennis said about the welterweight straps. “I had to fight my mandatory. This time I’m going to beat him easier and in a better fashion.
“It’s a blessing to have him on the card. He’s a top-five pound-for-pound. I’m glad to have him on my card. Me and him together, we’re going to make fireworks,” said Boots about having WBC super flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in his co-feature against Pedro Guevara.
“The card is going to be crazy. There are a lot of great up-and-coming fighters on the card. Hopefully, it’s true. I’ve been asking for them fights,” said Ennis when asked if he believes he’ll get a chance to fight Terence Crawford. “You ask him. I’m tired of answering this question multiple times.
“When it’s my turn, and I got to fight a young lion, I definitely will give him the opportunity. Eddie [Hearn] has got a mouthpiece. He’s going to do all the talking for you. You don’t have to say anything. He’s going to say everything that’s going to be said.
“All you’ve got to do is sit back and fight and do what you need to do. That’s win,” said Ennis about his promoter Eddie Hearn doing all the work marketing his fights by doing all the talking.
“One or two fights,” said Boots Ennis when asked how long before he claims the #1 pound-for-pound spot. “I’m right there. I just need that one name, that’s all.”
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