Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis: Does He Need A Marketing Gimmick?

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is trapped in a dead division at welterweight with zero notable fighters that the boxing world is interested in watching him fight.

Boots’ social media reach is nonexistent, and he’s not a charismatic fighter who can get fans excited about watching him fight the way other less-talented boxers do by talking trash. Unfortunately, that’s not going to change.

The 27-year-old Boots will never be a fighter full of personality that creates the kind of interest Ryan Garcia does with his interviews and posts on X.

Unlike most fighters, Ryan works hard by posting and giving interviews, and it’s paid off for him with 12 million followers on social media. Those followers can be counted on to purchase PPV events, and that’s what Boots Ennis needs.

So, Boots needs some gimmick that can attract publicity and get fans interested in following him, not just for particular fights but on a daily basis. Ennis and other fighters may not like needing gimmicks to sell their fights, but that’s how it is in any sport.

Gimmick Ideas

• Enlist a hype person:  Ennis needs a Bill Haney type of hype man who can talk him up, doing interviews. Boots and his dad, Bozy, aren’t charismatic enough to fill that role. What they need is someone like Bill that can connect with the people.
  – Social media: Hire someone who can post 5 to 10 times daily on X and Instagram.
• Be flashy during fights: Since the opposition that Boots has to fight at 147 is beyond poor, he’s got to make his fights interesting by showboating in a Naseem Hamed.
• Create a character for his personality: Taking acting classes to develop a character that can help get fans interested.

Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) is adamant about staying at 147 despite the division’s lack of quality opposition. If Ennis moved up to 154, he could help his career and wouldn’t need a marketing gimmick to get fans interested in him, but he won’t do that. He’s going to stay at 147 stubbornly and languish.

His promoter, Eddie Hearn, recently failed to set him up with a unification fight against WBO champion Brian Norman Jr. and then lost a purse bid for his IBF mandatory Karen Chukhadzhian fight on November 9th. That fight will not help Boots’ career and may even hurt it unless he can create interest with a marketing gimmick.