Jaron Ennis: “My overall aim in boxing hasn’t changed, I want to become undisputed in every division from 147lbs to 168lbs.”

Jaron Ennis: “My overall aim in boxing hasn’t changed, I want to become undisputed in every division from 147lbs to 168lbs.”

By Matt Elliott

This last year has been a rollercoaster of emotions for Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. In late 2023 he became a world champion for the first time, when the IBF stripped Terence Crawford after he failed to agree terms on their ordered fight due to a rematch clause in place with Errol Spence Jr. That should have been a moment for celebration, but unfortunately for Ennis, it came at a time when he was in dispute with his then promoter NOW boxing. This disagreement led to him filing a lawsuit and resulted in him spending twelve months out of the ring.

That dispute ended in March, and a few weeks later it was announced that the highly talented fighter had signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Matchroom, with Eddie Hearn making it clear that they were committed to making him a household name and that his hometown of Philadelphia, a place Ennis hadn’t fought in since a 2018 second round stoppage victory over Raymond Serrano, would be the stage for his next fight which was scheduled for July.  

Ennis made a winning return and the first defence of his IBF title, as he overcame David Avanesyan, a late replacement for the injured Cody Crowley, forcing his corner to withdraw their man at the end of round five. The fight took place inside a packed-out Wells Fargo Center, and Ennis will return to the venue next month for a rematch with mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian. Ennis is now in camp for the fight, but I was able to grab some time with him on Zoom this past week and started by asking him how training was going, and his thoughts on rematching Chukhadzian, a man he won every round against back in January of last year.

“Camp is going well, it’s a quick turnaround between fights, and I’m feeling good. I feel that with this fight, this time around, I will be a lot smarter and not go in there looking for the knockout. That’s probably where I made the mistake last time. Even though I won every round I was too eager for the knockout, and if you watch the fight, I didn’t pick it up until the seventh round and what I did from then until the end of the fight, I should’ve been doing far earlier. I’ve learnt lessons from that, though, and it was good to get twelve rounds, but this time he’s not going to get out.”

The fact that Ennis beat Chukhadzian so easily last time out, makes it understandable why a unification fight would’ve been the preferred route, and it is understood that discussions took place with WBO champion Brian Norman Jr, but ultimately a financial agreement couldn’t be reached. I asked Ennis if that had been frustrating and how long he planned to hang around at 147lbs if the big fights couldn’t be made.

“I don’t know, I can’t really say, we’ll see. If those guys don’t accept the fights, then we’ll have to see where it goes. I’m not looking past my next fight, but my aim is to be undisputed and to hold all of the belts, so whichever champion wants to sign on the dotted line, that’s the fight I want next.”

Turning to that first world title, most boxers would prefer to win a belt in the ring, rather than be elevated due to the circumstances of others, but Ennis earned that opportunity by winning the IBF interim title and cannot be held accountable for the actions of the sanctioning body in stripping Terence Crawford. Despite how the situation played out, was Ennis proud to become a world champion for the first time?

“It was great to get the first world title in my possession. Look, it wasn’t the way I wanted to win it, but that was outside of my control. I’d far rather take the belt from somebody inside the ring and I’d feel better doing that, but it is what it is and I’m just blessed to be in this position and I can’t wait to finish collecting the rest of these belts.”

Looking back to that Avanesyan fight and the chance to box in front of a hometown crowd, how good was it for Ennis to be back in the ring after a prolonged absence, but more importantly, what did it feel like to walk out to that Philadelphia atmosphere?

“It was great to be back, I had a bit of ring rust having been out for a year, so it was good to be back in there and with a fast turnaround, I think this time you will see a sharper, better, smarter me. Fighting in front of a Philly crowd as well was phenomenal. I haven’t fought at home since 2018, so it was a blessing, I am so happy to be able to fight at home, especially being at Wells Fargo, we made history, and we are ready to do it all again. I feel comfortable fighting there, and we are putting Philly boxing back on the map. It has always been there, but everyone is starting to come out and show love and come to the fights. It was a beautiful turnout last time, but I think this will be ten times better because some people missed the last fight and then heard everyone talking about how great it was, so I don’t think they will miss this one. I feel like it’s going to be another historic moment for me.”   

The decision to get Ennis back out in Philadelphia is being driven by Eddie Hearn, who sees this as a natural place to build the profile of his latest star signing. Having settled with his previous promoter, Ennis became one of the most sought-after free agents in the sport. What was it then that made him decide Matchroom were the right company to navigate him through this stage of his career, and does this link up mean we could, at some point, see him fight on UK soil?

“I like how Eddie is constantly moving his guys and how he treats them. I like what he’s got going on, and I’m happy to be part of it, and I’m hoping he can take my career to the next level. In terms of fighting in the UK, we’ll see. As of right now, we are on US soil, but we’ll see what comes up and what opportunities are presented. You never know, you might see me in the UK in the future.”

For now, the main aim for Ennis is to remain active. It’s been a criticism he’s faced in the past, but much of that was driven by others, and it was one of the main reasons he was keen to link up with a promoter who could deliver regular fights for him. The ultimate aim hasn’t changed, though; to become a multi-weight undisputed world champion.

“Over the next twelve months, I plan to stay busy, and that’s how I will keep sharp and get better and better. My full focus is on this next fight and getting the victory, but then I’d like to have at least three fights next year. My overall aim in boxing hasn’t changed, I want to become undisputed in every division from 147lbs to 168lbs. I can’t wait. That’s my goal, and I’m going to make it happen.”  

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing