WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr’s father, Brian Sr, says they’re “very close” to putting together a deal for a unification fight against IBF champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (32-0, 29 KO’s) for November 9th in Philadelphia.
Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom is eager to make this fight, pushing Norman Sr. to contact them to arrange the unification clash against the phenom Boots, 27.
Ennis Faces Unattractive Mandatory Defense
The alternative for Ennis is bleak: an IBF-mandated title defense against mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian. That’s a fight that few boxing fans want to see, given the slick, elusive style and that Boots already beat Karen last year by a wide 12-round unanimous decision in Washington, D.C.
“We want this fight to happen, Ennis wants this fight to happen, the welterweight division needs this fight to happen, and we’re gonna make it happen,” said Brian Norman Sr. to @BrunchBoxing.
The Georgia native Norman Jr. looked outstanding in his last fight, knocking out previously unbeaten Giovani Santillan by the tenth round on May 18th in San Diego. Brian Jr. dished out a beating on Santillan, bloodying him and knocking him down, winning the WBO interim welterweight title.
Norman Jr, 23, is arguably the best of the three welterweight champions Boots must beat to complete his goal of becoming the undisputed champion at 147. The other two champions, Mario Barrios and Eimantis Stanionis, won’t be a problem for Boots.
The Price of Fighting Ennis
What will be difficult for Hearn to arrange fights with them is the money. They will want a huge payday to take on Ennis, given that they would be massive underdogs with little to no chance of defeating the talented fighter.
When a fighter loses to Boots, it’s not just by a simple decision. He knocks out his opponents most of the time, and that’s not a good deal for Barrios and Stanionis. Hence, they will want massive cash from Hearn to agree to fight Boots.
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