Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is now the Ring Magazine #1 welterweight in welterweight and could soon be the rated Champion’ in the weight class once the departed Terence Crawford is stripped.
Ring Magazine must adjust its ratings to eliminate fighters like Crawford and Errol Spence, who no longer compete at 147. Although Crawford still holds the championship belt with Ring Magazine, fans view Boots Ennis as the top dog in the division. Crawford abandoned his throne rather than face Boots and kicked off his chair.
IBF 147-lb Champion ‘Boots’ Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) would have preferred to face Crawford to take over the throne, but he fled the division after beating Errol Spence Jr. last year in July without facing the young talent.
Ennis is in a position where he’s the King of division that no longer supports life. The 147-lb division is as barren of life as planet Venus with no atmosphere.
Crucial Decision for Boots:
- Boots can either stay at welterweight and rule his Kingdom filled with no-names
- Move up to 154 to hunt down his prey, Crawford, Sebastian Fundora, Errol Spence, and Tim Tszyu.
Ennis still insists on staying at welterweight for the time being following his successful title defense of his IBF belt against David Avanesyan last Saturday night, July 13th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Boots Ennis seems to think that staying in the welterweight division for another two years and collecting the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles will validate him in the eyes of the public and transform him into a star. It won’t.
The fighters Ennis would beat to pick up those belts, Mario Barrios, Eimantas Stanionis, and Brian Norman Jr., are unknown to casual fans. Ennis would be no better off beating them than his last three opponents, Avanesyan, Roman Villa, and Karen Chukhadzhian.
Boots’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, must make sure that he doesn’t enable his way of thinking, choosing to reinforce his desire to stay at welterweight to accomplish his goal of becoming undisputed.
Fighters like Crawford had to use that as a goal because he wasn’t a popular fighter until he beat Spence last year. Crawford was only known to hardcore boxing fans because he had no social media presence and lacked the marketability and charisma to sell his fights.
Boots doesn’t possess charisma either, and he’s not busy on social media like the popular fighters Ryan Garcia, Davin Haney, Gervonta Davis, and, to some extent, Shakur Stevenson. What Ennis has going for him is that he’s entertaining inside the ring and appealing to watch.
So unlike Crawford, who was a counter-puncher that wasn’t exciting to watch, Boots Ennis is. That’s why he doesn’t need to stay at welterweight to round up all the belts against the obscure champions needlessly.
If Ennis moves up to 154 now, he can rapidly become a star by picking off the top guys individually.
The @ringmagazine number 1⃣ welterweight in the world 🔝 @JaronEnnis pic.twitter.com/Z7kWz00VhU
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 19, 2024
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