Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ decision to stay at 147 rather than go up to 154 to face WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr is based on his hopes that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, will eventually line him up for unification fights against the other three champions.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said he attempted to put the fight between Ennis and Vergil Ortiz together, but he couldn’t do it. He says that Boots “Changed his mind.”
Hearn isn’t saying who Ennis could fight next when he returns to the ring in the first half of 2025, but it won’t be against any of the champions at 147. Ennis will wind up making another title defense against a contender in a fight that fans have little interest in seeing.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Boots Ennis against one of these fighters for his next defense in April or May 2025:
– Lewis Crocker
– Paddy Donovan
– Ekow Essuman
– Pat McCormack
Boots seems to be heading in the same direction as former Hearn fighter Demetrius Andrade, who was matched against lackluster opposition in his three-fight stint with Matchroom. When Ennis’ contract with Hearn expires, it’s predictable that it won’t be renewed.
Popularity Plunge
Those are not fights that will interest fans, but Hearn wouldn’t have to pay a lot to get any of those fighters to agree to fight Boots. It would be a different story if Hearn attempted to set up a unification fight for Ennis at 147 because the champions would want a lot of money due to the high risk that a fight of that nature would bring.
Ennis’ popularity is at an all-time low after he chose not to move up to face Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) on the February 22nd card.
It doesn’t look promising for Boots (33-0, 29 KOs) that Hearn will be able to deliver any unification fights for him at welterweight because he’s someone to avoid in the division. Ennis is NOT popular, lacks personality, and isn’t fighting the type of opposition that would increase his notoriety.
“He gave us his word and changed his mind last minute,” said His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to Ariel Helani’s channel, talking about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis not wanting to move up to 154 for a fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Ennis should have learned from Hearn’s failure to set up the unification fight with WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. that he does not have much chance to get the matches he wants at 147.
Without Turki’s involvement in fights at 147, Boots is nowhere to go because Hearn isn’t going to want to overpay the other belt-holders. Turki wants big fights, and none of the champions at 147 are popular enough for a match against Ennis to create any demand. He’s interested in Ennis challenging Vergil Ortiz Jr, but there’s nothing he can do if he doesn’t feel up to it.
A “Bad Look” For Boots
“Hearn said he’s no longer going to fight in February. He’s going to have to be pushed into April or into May,” said Chris Mannix on his channel, talking about ‘Boots’ Ennis’ next fight in 2025.
“That doesn’t make any sense. It’s not like he would be moving up to fight this career-long junior middleweight [Vergil Jr]. He would be moving up to fight a former 147-pounder that he’s been talking about fighting anyway.
“He’s [Ortiz Jr] not looked infallible. He beat Serhii Bohachuk but got dropped twice in that fight. If you made Vergil against Boots, I’d favor Boots. Not by a ton, but I’d favor him early on in that fight. It looks like a duck.
It’s doubtful that Boots can beat Vergil Jr. He obviously knows that himself, so he balked at the idea of moving up to 154 to challenge Vergil Jr.
The way Ennis looked against Karen Chukhadzhian, Roiman Villa, and David Avanesyan, he’s not going to beat Ortiz Jr.
“You want to keep your [IBF welterweight] belt. You just did a mandatory title defense against Chukhadzhian. You can keep the belt, move up to 154, take a fight, and if it doesn’t work out for you, drop back down and defend your title,” said Mannix.
“I know guys, once they move up, they really don’t like to move down. Boots is still young enough to potentially move back down in weight. None of this makes any sense, and it’s a bad look overall for Boots Ennis,” said Mannix.
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