Patience has proven to be a virtue for Harry Scarff. After a frustrating start to his career, the British and Commonwealth welterweight champion believes everything is finally falling into place.
On May 17, Scarff fights Karen Chukhadzian in Hamburg in a final eliminator for Jaron Ennis’ IBF title.
Ennis recently signed a promotional deal with Matchroom and Scarff, 13-2 (3 KOs), took a keen interest in developments, well aware that they will help to shape his own future.
Matchroom clearly believe that Ennis, 31-0 (28 KOs), is one of the outstanding talents in world boxing and will want to keep him as visible as possible.
Ennis gets the ball rolling against the IBF’s current mandatory challenger, Cody Crowley, in Philadelphia on July 13th meaning that his next mandatory defense won’t be due until next April.
If Matchroom decide to promote Ennis as the world’s best welterweight, they could elect to seek out fights with the likes of WBA champion, Eimantas Stanionis or WBC interim title holder Mario Barrios, meaning Scarff would be forced to sit and wait for his opportunity.
Should Ennis decide to leave the welterweight division and pursue a superfight with Terence Crawford at 154lbs, it would leave Scarff in prime position to box for a vacant title.
Of course, the 30-year-old from Derby first has to concentrate on the not so small matter of beating Chukhadzian on away soil, but should he get past the Ukrainian he will be able to sit back and await developments, safe in the knowledge that the IBF are renowned for sticking to their own rules and that his name won’t be pushed to one side.
“Hopefully it happens pretty quickly and we don’t have to wait around. The IBF are a good and quite strict governing body so I’m sure we’ll get something done swiftly after this one,” Scarff told BoxingScene.
“It does seem like it could work out well. They [Matchroom] are really gonna get behind him now and push him. It could work out well for me when I’m in that number one position after this fight. All being well, it’s gonna stand me in good stead.
“I think this will give me that platform too. Even after winning the British title, I think this will really give me the thing that I need to be able to start shouting my name a bit more. I’ll be number one in the world for Jaron Ennis as well as number one in the UK and I won’t need to say anything more then. Everybody’s going to have to start taking note and looking at me. Since winning the belts, we’ve still had nobody calling my name because I think everybody knows I’m a risky fight for them.”
Scarff has made rapid progress since dropping down from super lightweight two years ago. Firstly, he impressively outpointed the tough Louis Greene to win the English belt and then earned his lofty position with the IBF by beating long reigning British and Commonwealth champion, Ekow Essuman.
Manchester’s Liam Taylor is next in line for a shot at Scarff’s British title and is staying busy while he waits for the British Boxing Board of Control to set a date for his challenge but considering he holds the most prestigious title in a busy domestic division, Scarff’s name rarely crops up in conversation.
Things would almost certainly change if he beats Chukhadzian and claims the number one spot with the IBF, but after spending years making himself available to everybody at 147lbs and 154lbs, Scarff would then be the one calling the shots and, by the sound of it, wouldn’t appreciate being seen as a shortcut into world class.
“Everyone’s been silent. I haven’t heard anything from Ekow about a rematch. I haven’t heard anything from Chris Kongo apart from the fact that – in his opinion – he’s above domestic level which I think is a load of s**t when he’s lost twice to domestic opposition. Everybody else too, my name hasn’t been spoken much,” he said.
“Promoters have got their own agendas where they can go different ways with the different ranking belts. That’s something that hasn’t helped boxing over the last few years if you ask me.
“They know they’re being clever doing it that way because they can avoid a risky fight and go an easier route. I do understand it but the true essence of the game is to beat the best and if you say you’re the best in Britain then you need to fight the British champion and prove it don’t you? You should want to prove it too.”
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