Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is undoubtedly one of boxing’s brightest stars, captivating fans with his dazzling footwork, blistering hand speed and audacious showmanship.
The 27-year-old comes off a destructive fifth-round stoppage over seasoned campaigner David Avanesyan, becoming the IBF world welterweight champion after claiming the interim strap earlier last year.
It was, in fact, Karen Chukhadzhian – Ennis’ next opponent – who he comprehensively outpointed for the coveted trinket at 147 lbs.
And yet, the American will now enter an unexpected, and somewhat befuddling, rematch with the Ukrainian on November 9, looking to stay in the mix for a potential unification showdown.
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis could face Terence Crawford after unifying the welterweight division
Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn was forced to agree a deal with IBF mandatory challenger Chukhadzhian’s team after losing a purse bid for Ennis’ uninspiring title defense.
In any case, Boots will no doubt be hoping to come through his next assignment unscathed, with his ambition to unify the welterweight division seemingly remaining intact.
Mario Barrios, Eimantas Stanionis, and Brian Norman Jr also currently hold world titles at 147 lbs, with two-weight undisputed champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford representing an even more lucrative option up at super welterweight.
“I believe that when Jaron wins in November and he unifies the division, if he moves to 154 [lbs], it would be very difficult for Terence to avoid that fight, unless he’s retired from the sport,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV.
“Boots is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger, and, once he unifies, there’s going to be real momentum for that fight.
“But it may take his excellency [Turki Alalshikh] to put the money up for Crawford to say: ‘okay, I’ll do it.’
“Because they’re not going to want to do it; no one really wants to fight Boots.”
Terence Crawford rejects MMA crossover fight with Conor McGregor
While a collision with Ennis remains a potential option for Crawford, the pound-for-pound star has, following his victory over Israil Madrimov, only expressed a desire to take on super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez.
And so, even when former UFC champion Conor McGregor tried to tempt him with a potential MMA showdown earlier this week, Bud ultimately refused to entertain any offer.
But still, one would suspect that the WBA world super welterweight champion will also consider alternative options – beyond Canelo, that is.
And a unification fight with WBC and WBO champion Sebastian Fundora, for instance, remains a viable opportunity for Crawford to further cement his greatness.