The next great one, and the legend.
Following a brief moment where it looked like the glamor welterweight division was deteriorating toward mediocrity, one of its all-time greats and another who aspires to attain legend status have revived the weight class.
Saturday night on DAZN, new IBF 147-pound champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) of Philadelphia stages a homecoming bout against veteran replacement opponent David Avanesyan (30-4-1, 18 KOs).
And with talks pointed for a fall bout, eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, 45, is seeking to win a welterweight belt for the sixth time, this time against newly belted champion Mario Barrios of Texas.
With two-division champion Teofimo Lopez Jr. also saying he wants a crack at the WBO belt belonging to Brian Norman, it didn’t take long for the intrigue to gravitate right back.
On Thursday’s episode of ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters,” analysts and former world champions Chris Algieri, Paulie Malignaggi and Shawn Porter dissected the division.
“As long as he can make 147, ‘Boots’ is that guy – he’s going to run through 147 and then go up to 154,” Algieri said. “We’re going to see ‘Boots’ for a long time.
“Super talented. Young (27). Has the frame for it. Has the shoulders.. Long. His style – hard to hit, slick, smooth, super athletic, power in both hands. Starts fast, finishes late. You name it, this guy can do it.”
The key for Ennis is to increase his activity, said both Malignaggi and Porter. Ennis hasn’t fought in more than one year.
“This kid could unify the welterweights pretty rapidly,” former welterweight champion Malignaggi said. “If he can’t do it, without the big names fighting him, it might not be worth it.”
Ennis’ talent is obvious, but his timing was off, as both veteran 147-pound champions Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. have moved up to junior-middleweight.
Porter noted the claims that Ennis “hasn’t fought anything” won’t go away by meeting Avanesyan, whom Malignaggi labels a “lose-lose” option because Avanesyan can be rugged and difficult, but he also last fought a guy whose record was 11-55-3.
“(Ennis) has to fight now, October and January – if he’s trying to build up his profile, he has to stay active,” Malignaggi said.
The 45-year-old Pacquiao has also been inactive – for more than three years.
That’s an indictment to the toothless ratings system in boxing, argued Algieri, who said he thought Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) was getting old back when he fought him 10 years ago.
Pacquiao wasn’t. He knocked down Aligieri six times in Macao, then won the WBA welterweight five years ago over Keith Thurman.
“Big difference between 40 and 45,” Algieri said.
Algieri’s more concerned about the inequity that allows Pacquiao to have the title shot.
“The fact that he’s able to cut the line, that’s where I have a problem,” Algieri said. “It makes the governing bodies look all the more foolish, like, ‘What are we talking about the rankings for? Why are these guys fighting tooth and nail to edge up one position when a retired fighter who’s 45, who hasn’t fought in 3 ½ years, coming off a loss can step right back in there to a title fight.”
The WBC has already endorsed Pacquiao for the bout, even though it’s not officially negotiated.
“Not a good look,” Algieri said. “It’s good for Mario Barrios. He’s going to get a big payday – the biggest of his career. He gets the chance to fight a living legend and I think most have (Barrios) as the favorite based on Manny Pacquiao’s age and inactivity.
“Other than that, for everyone else below them, it’s just unfair.”
Malignaggi is concerned that Pacquiao is fighting a championship fight at 45 for health reasons.
“You’re starting to get to that risk factor, especially if you haven’t been active,” he said. “I don’t want to hear he’s a competitor. Forty-five is extreme. It can be dangerous.
“Yes, in his prime, (Pacquiao) would be favored to beat (Barrios). But (Pacquiao’s been in a lot of tough fights and Manny was not always defensively shiny. He took – and gave – a lot of punches. Gave a lot of excitement, but that has to wear on you. And Mario Barrios is an active fighter.”
Malignaggi wonders what’s pushing Pacquiao fight beyond the eight-division champion stating he wants to go out on his terms following his most recent loss to former champion Yordenis Ugas.
“You’ve got to wonder if this guy’s broke,” Malignaggi said.
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