WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr.’s father, Brian Sr., says they are “very close” to a deal for a unification fight against IBF champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) for November 9th in Philadelphia.
Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom is keen to make this fight, pushing Norman Sr. to contact them to arrange the unification clash against the phenomenon Boots, 27.
Ennis faces unattractive mandatory defence
The alternative for Ennis is bleak: an IBF-mandated title defense against mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian. It’s a fight few boxing fans want to see, given the slick, evasive style and the fact that Boots already beat Karen last year by a wide 12-round unanimous decision in Washington, DC
“We want this fight to happen, Ennis wants this fight to happen, the welterweight division needs this fight to happen, and we’re going to make it happen,” Brian Norman Sr. said. told @BrunchBoxing.
Georgia native Norman Jr. looked outstanding in his last fight, knocking out previously unbeaten Giovani Santillan in the tenth round on May 18 in San Diego. Brian Jr. took a beating against Santillan, bloodied him and knocked him down, winning the WBO interim welterweight title.
Norman Jr, 23, is arguably the best of the three welterweight champions Boots needs to beat to complete his goal of becoming the undisputed champion at 147. The other two champions, Mario Barrios and Eimantis Stanionis, will not be a problem for Boots.
The price of fighting Ennis
What will be difficult for Hearn to arrange fights with them is the money. They will want a big payday to take on Ennis as they will be massive underdogs with little to no chance of defeating the talented fighter.
When a fighter loses to Boots, it’s not just by a simple decision. He strikes out his opponents most of the time, and that’s not a good deal for Barrios and Stanionis. Therefore, they will want massive cash from Hearn to agree to fight Boots.