In his Matchroom Boxing debut, Philadelphia native and IBF world welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) fought in his hometown for the first time in six years, as he stopped David Avanesyan (30-5-1, 18 KOs) in the fifth round.
Boots Ennis dominated the fight by staying dedicated to the body attack and hitting his opponent with a variation of combinations. Using his traditional high guard, David Avanesyan had his moments, but Ennis was able to gradually break Avanesyan down.
On the night of July 13th, Boots Ennis flashed a big smile as he made his way to the ring. When the bell sounded, the 27-year-old switch-hitter started the bout in the orthodox stance as he knocked Avanesyan off balance when he landed a power jab.
Throughout the IBF welterweight championship bout, Avanesyan experienced success when he was able to punch in between the champion’s shots. Avanesyan was game, but Ennis was too fast, too strong, and too skilled for his overmatched opponent.
At the midway point of the 5th round, Avanesyan was leaning on Ennis while landing solid punches, but Ennis landed a counter left-hand shot that sent Avanesyan down to the canvas. Avanesyan was able to get up and finish the round, but his corner would proceed to stop the fight.
Despite the fact that he was inactive for an entire year, Jaron Ennis looked very impressive, but now we’ve reached the point where we ask that proverbial question of what’s next? Jaron Ennis will have to weigh his options as it relates to moving up or staying at 147.
Moving up to the junior-middleweight division is probably the most popular answer because if Boots moves up to 154, that means he’s on a collision course with the former two-time undisputed world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs).
A Terence “Bud” Crawford vs Jaron “Boots” Ennis clash is the fight that boxing fans desperately want to see. This potential bout features two fighters who have similar skill sets. Both boxers are extremely talented switch-hitters who have all the tools.
Jaron Ennis can hurt you with his speed, power, punch placement, and his volume. Terence Crawford gives his opponents the same type of problems, but instead of utilizing a high volume of punches, Crawford does his damage more efficiently.
Jaron Ennis wants the fight, but Terence Crawford doesn’t seem too interested at the moment. After Ennis defeated Avanesyan, Turki Alalshikh tweeted, “I’d love to see Ennis in fight with Crawford at weight 154 soon.”
Crawford may not seem interested in a clash with Ennis now, but there is a good chance that Turki Alalshikh will provide a financial incentive that could persuade Crawford. In the meantime, the 36-year-old Terence Crawford has an upcoming bout with WBA 154-pound champion Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs).
If Crawford defeats Madrimov on August 3rd, he will probably continue his quest to land a mega fight with the undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. If Boots Ennis can’t secure the Crawford fight, then a unification match could be in his future.
Ennis would be the favorite to unify in a potential bout against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Unifying the titles is a good resume builder, but in Boots Ennis’s case, the more lucrative fights are at 154.
A showdown with Terence Crawford is the preference, but a clash against Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) is a very appealing matchup. Other boxers Ennis could target at 154 are Errol Spence Jr., Sebastian Fundora, and Tim Tszyu.
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