Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has always vowed to secure the biggest and most lucrative fights for IBF world welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Only last week it seemed as though his American star was on the cusp of a unification showdown with newly crowned WBO titlist Brian Norman Jr.
However, negotiations collapsed after Norman Jr’s team rejected several offers, despite Eddie Hearn promising to deliver the 23-year-old’s career-highest payday.
And now, while an announcement is yet to emerge, Ennis looks set to remain at 147 lbs, but is unlikely to face an opponent that fans have been clamouring for.
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Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to rematch IBF mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian
Despite teasing the possibility of moving up to super welterweight, Ennis has now been ordered to defend his title against a fighter he comprehensively outpointed last year.
Since their first encounter, Chukhadzhian has secured three victories on the bounce, but Hearn remains unconvinced that this is the right call from the IBF.
“A lot of the time I respect the IBF, the way they actually don’t care or acknowledge commercial common sense in boxing,” Hearn told Boxing Scene.
“I could phone up [IBF president] Daryl [Peoples] and just be like, ‘Daryl, can we just have two minutes on this. Let’s just put this into perspective. You are putting a mandatory on us on a guy that we just beat two fights ago that no one [wants to see].”
Eddie Hearn loses IBF purse bid to P2M-Box Promotion
On Tuesday, it was reported that P2M-Box Promotion, who represent Chukhadzhian, claimed promotional rights over the contest with a bid of $2,000,053.10.
Meanwhile, Matchroom Boxing arrived with a significantly lower bid of $1,566,666, affirming their disapproval with the fight’s overall market value.
It is still a viable option, though, for Ennis to vacate his title and chase greatness up at 154 lbs, where pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford holds the WBA world title following his victory over Israil Madrimov.
But with Ennis targeted to headline a DAZN show in November, perhaps taking care of his mandatory duties won’t be such a bad option in the interim.