Eddie Hearn says he got his marching orders from Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to set up unification fights against the other belt holders at 147. Hearn’s instructions from undefeated IBF welterweight champion Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) for 2025. However, it doesn’t look good because the champions want big money.
Hearn says Teofimo Lopez or a move to 154 for a fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr. is possible if a unification fight cannot be made for Ennis. We’ll see if either of those things happen for Ennis in the new year.
It’s going to take some serious money from Hearn for him to lure any of the welterweight champions to fight Ennis.
Welterweight Greed?
Many of them are probably waiting and hoping that Turki Alalahikh will offer them a fight on his Riyadh season cards. They would love to fight for millions, make an easy defense against a soft opponent rather than lose their titles to Boots for little money.
“Are strict instructions from (Ennis) are: ‘I want to unify, and if I can’t unify, I will either move to 154 and fight (Vergil) Ortiz, or I can possibly fight Teofimo Lopez.’ I like the Lopez fight, but all he wants to do is unify,” said Eddie Hearn Fight Hub TV about Jaron ‘Boots’s Ennis.
Boots may have to decide whether to move up or stay at 147 to face Teofimo anytime soon as it doesn’t look promising for his promoter Hearn to set up the unification fights he craves. Turki could help Ennis’ situation, and we’ll see if that happens next year.
Ennis’ poor performance against Karen Chukhadzhian on November 9 was another reason why his popularity did not begin to rise. Unlike other fighters like Gervonta Davis, Boots can’t fight anyone and expect fans to want to pay to see him.
147 or 154?
He needs the big fights that have so far eluded him. He would have helped himself if he accepted the offer to move up to 154 to beat Vergil Ortiz Jr. to challenge for his belt. Ennis is still fixated on capturing the 147-lb belts.
He wants to follow in Terence Crawford’s footsteps, but it took him years to do so. Even then, it didn’t happen until he was in his mid-30s.
