Jaron Ennis could fight Thurman or Stanionis if no Spence

By Boxing News - 05/16/2022 - Comments

By Huck Allen: Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has two backup options in Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman & Eimantas Stanionis if IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. won’t fight him next, according to his father, Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis Sr.

It might be wishful thinking on Bozy’s part to believe that the 33-year-old ‘One Time’ Thurman would agree to a fight against the dangerous young phenom Boots Ennis.

I mean, it’s all that Thurman can do to fight once every two years, and it’s unrealistic to assume he’d ever agree to get in the ring with a knockout artist like Ennis.

‘Boots’ Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) captured the IBF 147-lb mandatory spot last Saturday night with his second-round knockout of Custio Clayton (17-1-1, 12 KOs in a title eliminator at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Immediately after winning the fight, the 24-year-old Ennis called out Spence while still inside the ring, letting him, the media, and the boxing world know that he wants to face him next.

Not surprisingly, Spence made it clear right away that the guy that he wants next is WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford. What that means is Ennis will need to look elsewhere, possibly towards a fight with former WBA/WBC 147-lb champion Thurman or more likely, the unbeaten Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs).

“I’m #1 with the IBF right now, so it’s time to go fishing,” said Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis at the post-fight press conference last Saturday night, letting the media know that he wants IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. next.

I’m not the second coming of nobody. I’ve got my own style, my own swag,” said Boots Ennis in reacting to being told that he’s the ‘second coming of Terence Crawford.’

“If he don’t fight Crawford, I’m here. I’ll definitely take the fight. I’m ready to continue showing that I’m the best welterweight in the world. I’m with Showtime. I feel like the big fights are set in stone, and a big fight will be next.

“I’m going to fight big name fighters from here on out. If you want to,” said Ennis when asked if he’s one of the biggest punchers in boxing. “It speaks to itself, my knockout percentage.

“I’ve got Showtime behind me, so I’ll be able to get these big-name fights in. As long as the money talks, I think they’ll get in the ring. We’ll see,” said Boots.

“I talked to Stephen [Espinoza of Showtime], and he was saying that if we don’t get a title shot against Spence, we’ll probably fight [Keith] Thurman for the titles,” said Boots Ennis’ dad, Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis Sr. If we don’t get him, we’ll fight [Eimantas] Stannionis.

“So one of them has got to fight him sooner or later, and it should be pretty soon. I don’t know,” Bozy said when asked if he expects Thurman to agree to a fight with Boots. “They say they’ll fight him, but the next thing you know, they fight somebody else.”

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