Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis posted on social media, hinting about positive news for his next fight. He’s in negotiations with WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr.
The Boots vs. Norman Jr. 147-lb unification fight is rumored to occur on November 9th in Philadelphia. Brian’s dad, Norman Sr., said the fight is “99%” happening. They’re waiting on Top Rank to negotiate the deal with IBF welterweight champion Boots Ennis’ promoters at Matchroom.
Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) needs the fight to become undisputed champion, and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, wants a unification next rather than defending against IBF mandatory Karen Chukhadzhian, who Boots beat by a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision last year on January 7, 2023, winning by the scores 120-108, 120-108 and 120-108.
If Boots gets stuck making defenses of his IBF belt against obscure fighters that do nothing for his career, he may never become a star. He’s not involved on social media like other fighters. So, he can’t depend on that to increase his popularity outside of the ring like Ryan Garcia or Shakur Stevenson do.
“My Son is Going to Beat Your Son”
“Boots is a great fighter, but my son is better. I told him [trainer Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis], ‘My son is going to beat your son.’ What else am I supposed to say?” said Brian Norman Sr. to the Zeb Brooks Multimedia YouTube channel about the fight being negotiated between WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and IBF champ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
If Norman Jr. beats Ennis, that would be a major setback for promoter Hearn, who signed him recently, believing he had inked a guy destined for stardom. Watching the bottom drop out on his visions so soon would be similar to how Hearn made a mistake signing two-time 140-lb champion Regis Prograis, only to watch him trounced by Devin Haney last December.
“99%,” said Norman Sr. when asked how certain the fight with Ennis will happen. “It should be done today. I don’t understand what we’re waiting on. Boots doesn’t want to fight Karen. Nobody wants to see Boots fight Karen.
😈😏
— Boots (@JaronEnnis) August 24, 2024
“He [Boots Ennis] Has Never Met the Resistance”
“The fans need a superhero, and how dare you challenge our superhero. People want it easy. We don’t have it like how Boots got it in his hometown, where everybody is coming to him and serving him up. We don’t have it that way. My son has been tested more than Boots,” said Norman Sr.
Promoters have given Boots Ennis the red carpet treatment because he was pegged for stardom when he first turned pro in 2016. It’s taken him longer to become a star because fighters like Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. have not shown interest in fighting him. Also, the welterweight division being so weak now has further slowed his progress.
“Every fight that Boots has been in has been in Boots’ favor. Every fight that Boots has been in hasn’t been close,” said Norman Sr. “People say, ‘He’s wiping everyone out,’ but everyone he wiped out, my son would have wiped out, or the guy that we just fought [Giovani Santillan] would have wiped out.”
Norman Sr. is speaking no lies. His son would beat everyone Boots Ennis has fought because his resume is empty. The best guys that Boots has fought are these fighters:
– Roiman Villa
– David Avaneysan
– Karen Chukhadzhian
– Sergey Lipints
“He [Boots Ennis] has never met the resistance that he’s going to meet from my son. I’ve seen how he acts when he’s met with resistance. If he acts like I think he’s going to act, that’s going to play more into my son’s favor. I wouldn’t be taking this fight if I didn’t think we could win this fight,” said Norman Sr.
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