Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is practicing for his expected setup in October or November for his debut at 154. No opponent was confirmed for Ennis (34-0, 30 COs).
One of the problems the former IBF and WBA welterweight champion Ennis has is that there is less incentive for fighters and their promoters to face him. Without a world title, there is less incentive for fighters to face “Boots” Ennis in a dangerous battle for them.
Boots Ennis opponent search
Ennis and his team need Turki Alalshikh to help them protect striking fighters at 154 to agree to fight against him as his opponent. He needs a good enough opponent to prepare himself for a high-profile collision against the WBC Tus interesting junior middleweight champion, Vergil Ortiz Jr.
The other promoters, Top Rank and PBC, are not eager to allow their fighters to be used as opponents for the Eddie Hearn-promoted boots Ennis unless it is financially worthwhile for them. Any fighter facing Ennis is likely to be knocked out in a unilateral decision or beaten decisively. Their value for their promoters will then fall.
Ideal 154 tune-up opponents
– Keith Thurman: potentially too expensive
– Charles Conwell
– Jesus Ramos
– Josh Kelly: A similar style to Karen Chukhadzhian
– Callum Walsh
– Tim Tszyu
Fighters like the former Unified Welterweight Champion ‘One Time’ Thurman, 36, are perhaps unrealistic because he still considers himself a star. If Hearn Keith could get at a bargain price, he would be a good opponent for Ennis to use for setting purposes. However, Thurman’s advanced age and his little 5’7 ″ frame make him less than ideal for preparing boots to fight true junior middle weights.
Ennis, 28, recently evacuated his IBF and WBA welterweight titles due to the problems of gaining weight and his inability to gain unification against champions Mario Barrios and Brian Norman JR.
High risk, low-reward Ennis
If you move up to 154, it will be easier for Ennis to gain weight and gain bigger fights. What he and Hearn did not realize was how difficult it would be to get opposition to fighting by 154 now that he no longer has a title. For them, boots have nothing to offer, and he is pure trouble. In other words, he is a high-risk-type fighter with a low reward.
Last updated on 07/28/2025
.){kind=link}